


Catching Up with Love

by zephakitara



Series: Catching Up [1]
Category: SKET Dance
Genre: Drama, F/M, Post-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:35:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28646124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zephakitara/pseuds/zephakitara
Summary: After five years of travelling, Bossun finally realizes his own feelings for Himeko. And now he has a lot of catching up to do, but things might not be going so smoothly for him. After all, five years is a long time for a girl to wait for a love that might never happen. Someone else could've whisked Himeko away before Bossun could even close his arms around her.
Relationships: Fujisaki "Bossun" Yuusuke/Onizuka "Himeko" Hime
Series: Catching Up [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2100600
Kudos: 4





	1. Departure

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally posted on FanFiction in October 2016.

At the tree-dotted camping site, Bossun lay quietly in his sleeping bag beside the burning fire. The endless starry sky was so beautiful he gazed at it fascinatedly no matter how many times he had slept underneath such spectacular, heavenly roof.

He slowly placed a callused hand on his heart, feeling it thumping hard against his rib cage.

Lately, his mind had been occupied with the thoughts of home, of his family and friends, and of a particular girl who he had been missing a lot. Somehow, whenever the thoughts of her took over his mind, his heart would start racing like crazy.

_How long has it been since I last went home?_

At the moment, Bossun was travelling in Cambodia with his friend, Ryan, volunteering and helping out the people who were in need there. They'd been travelling together all around the world for the past five years, giving all the help they could give to those who needed it. He had lost count on how many countries he had travelled to, but he would never forget the people he had helped, their different faces and their real struggles. They opened up his eyes.

Before he left Japan, Bossun never knew there were so many people that needed help all over the world. Sure, he knew about them from the news and whatnot, but seeing firsthand how difficult life could get for those people made him realize how lucky he was despite how he, too, had a rather sad life background.

He had lost both his parents on the day he was born. It was unfortunate, but he was still lucky.

He was loved. He had a mother who had been best friends with his late parents, he had a younger sister who he loved dearly despite how annoying the brat could be (Rumi will always be a brat to him, no matter how old she was).

Bossun later found out that he had a twin brother who he had known back in high school as an irritating rival first, before finding out that said rival was actually his fraternal twin brother separated at birth.

In the beginning, it was hard for Bossun to think of Tsubaki Sasuke as his brother, but gradually, he began to accept him. It surprised him on how easily he did. He thought it would be a very hard thing to do, to suddenly accept someone who he practically couldn't (or wouldn't) get along with as his younger brother.

But the truth was, Bossun was simply glad that he wasn't alone in this world. That he had a brother who shared his very blood. He was grateful for Sasuke.

And he had friends. Great friends that were more like saviours to him.

Bossun let out a long sigh as he pulled out his phone from his pocket.

 _No new messages, huh? Guess not. I'm in a middle of nowhere. Even if I_ had _new messages, I wouldn't be able to receive them, anyway._

But it _had_ been a while since Himeko and Switch messaged him. On nights like this where he spent his time looking at the stars, listening to nature, Bossun felt terribly lonely.

He and Ryan didn't camp out under the stars all the time when they were travelling, but for the last two years, they had been to more remote places to help people, to help those who live at the outskirts of a jungle or small villages far away from towns, and so camping out was the only choice they had.

Getting online or a phone connection was obviously out of the question. When Bossun finally managed to get to a place with an internet or phone connection, an overwhelming stream of messages would come pouring into his phone, some more than a month old.

Maybe that was why Himeko and Switch had been sparse with their messages these past years. They knew he wouldn't receive and read them in real time, seeing how rarely he would reply to them on the spot. He didn't blame them, though. This was part of what he had chosen to do.

Bossun slid his thumb against his phone screen and a picture of Switch and Himeko appeared. It was the only recent picture he had of them. He received it more than a year ago when his friends were still actively keeping in touch with him.

In the picture, Switch and Himeko were at Daimon and Quecchon's wedding, looking like a happy, beautiful couple. Dazzling, even.

Switch looked like he could have been on the front cover of a men's magazine with that perfectly pressed smart grey suit he was wearing and the way his hair fell into his eyes, his spectacles glinting.

'Switch the pretty boy, and a damn good programmer to boot,' Bossun said quietly to himself with a chuckle.

His chuckles died down when he looked at Himeko standing beside Switch, her arm hooked familiarly around the man next to her, her head prettily tilted onto his shoulder, smiling brilliantly. Her black hair was spun perfectly into a bun with carefully left out strands framing her face. The off-white dress she wore made her look as if _she_ was the beautiful bride of the day.

'Himeko…'

Her name left Bossun's lips without him meaning to, without him realizing it until it was out in the air. And this had been happening far too often lately.

'Himeko the beautiful school teacher,' he whispered.

His heart was starting to beat quickly again.

'That your girl?' a voice coming from beside him said.

'GYAAHH!'

Bossun yelped in surprise, sitting up in reflex. He looked around and saw his friend grinning like a kid next to him, munching on an energy bar.

'Dammit Ryan, don't scare me like that. I could've killed you!'

'Hey, don't blame me. I called you several times but you were too busy to hear me with your "Himeko the beautiful school teacher",' Ryan teased with a hearty laugh. Even in the dim firelight he could see how red Bossun's face was.

'Didn't your mother tell you not to eavesdrop on other people's conversation?' Bossun retorted with a childish pout, quickly pocketing his phone.

'Didn't realize you were having a "conversation" there,' Ryan said, making quote mark gestures with his fingers and letting out another laugh.

'Shut up and go to sleep, Ryan,' Bossun said sheepishly and lay back into his sleeping bag.

Ryan stifled his laughter and started humming a cheerful tune as he went about his business, prodding the fire carefully after he had laid out his sleeping bag.

'Where were you anyway? You left without saying a thing. You were there when I got into my sleeping bag and then you just disappeared,' Bossun asked, trying to get his heartbeat to slow down again. His heart was racing from the shock Ryan gave him just now, and also from before, when he was thinking of Himeko.

'I didn't just _disappear_ , kid. Nature's call, you know. I said something to you but you were deep in thought, I guess,' Ryan shrugged, a mischievous smile on his lips. 'Yeah, you were staring at the sky with your hand on your heart like that,' Ryan couldn't help snickering as he placed his hand on his chest and closed his eyes with a look of mock happiness on his face.

'Cut it out, man!'

Bossun felt his face getting hotter and it was not because of the growing fire Ryan was tending to. Ryan roared with laughter, poking the fire gleefully. Bossun was about to let out another retort before he burst out laughing, too.

Damn Ryan. He was always smiling, laughing, helping, even when things were getting tough and weren't going as planned, and that was what Bossun liked about him. He had such a positive attitude and was always surrounded by positive energy; it made helping people a lot easier and fun. It was like he was back in the Sket Dan.

 _God_ , how he missed the Sket Dan.

Bossun took out his phone again, looking at the same picture of his best friends.

'You miss her?' Ryan asked from across the fire.

He was done tending the fire and was already in his sleeping bag. Bossun was quiet for a while before he answered.

'Yeah. I miss her.'

_And I love her._

He could easily admit that to himself now. It took him a while, well, more like _five years_ to realize his own feelings for Himeko. For the past year, he was fighting off a foreign feeling growing inside of him when he'd heard from Switch that Himeko was dating a fellow teacher from the same school she was teaching at, which was Kaimei High.

He couldn't figure out what the feeling was at first, trying to discard and ignore it like it wasn't bothering him at all when the truth was it actually made him feel terrible, uncomfortable, irritable, agitated, annoyed, frustrated all at the same time.

And then on a night not unlike this one where he had time to ponder on his life, Bossun finally realized what that feeling actually was.

Jealousy.

He was jealous of the guy that Himeko had given her heart to, that she was having fun with another guy while he was not around, that she was in love with another–

'You must love her lots, then,' Ryan's sleepy voice pulled Bossun out of his train of thoughts.

Truthfully, that feeling of jealousy was still around. He didn't know how far Himeko's relationship with that teacher had gone and it was driving him crazy. He wanted to know, and yet, he was afraid to know. What if it was already too late? What should he do then?

He had deliberately avoided asking Switch about the status of Himeko's relationship with that teacher, and Switch hadn't given him any updates about it either whenever they managed to get in touch, but Bossun had been silently hoping and praying that the relationship wasn't a serious one.

The thought of Himeko marrying some guy he didn't know, being happy with him, having kids with him; it made Bossun's heart ache. He didn't want to think of things like that but he couldn't get them out of his racing mind. He couldn't help imagining them. He couldn't–

'Why is she with another guy, though?' Ryan's sleepy voice came again from across the fire.

'Huh? What do you mean?' Bossun looked at him, mildly surprised. Did Ryan read his thoughts or what?

'That guy in the picture with her. Looks like a hotshot to me.'

'Oh.'

So he meant Switch.

'That's my best friend, Switch. I've shown you pictures of him before, though he _does_ look a bit too much like a hot stuff celebrity in this picture. Maybe that's why you didn't recognize him. I've talked about Switch to you before. He's the one who used to speak using a laptop.'

'The girl in the picture, her name's Himeko, right? The one you like?'

Bossun narrowed his eyes in his friend's direction. This was so typical of Ryan, suddenly becoming talkative when he was feeling sleepy. Ryan said it was a habit that would help him sleep better later on. But he would rarely bring up topics such as this. Why was Ryan talking about love now? Bossun had never actually concretely said to Ryan that he was in love with Himeko. But the guy seemed to catch on fast. He probably could tell just by looking.

'Why are you suddenly so interested in this?' he asked Ryan who had been speaking with his eyes closed.

'Just curious. You seem to love the girl, but you look insecure, like you're not sure she loves you back or not,' Ryan mumbled.

Bossun rolled onto his side, facing the fire, watching Ryan's face.

Certainly, that was what had been bothering Bossun this whole time. He didn't know how Himeko felt about him now. The chances were high for her to not feel the same like she did five years ago, and it would be foolish and arrogant of him to think that her heart was still pining for him after all these years.

And from what little hints Bossun had managed to gather from Switch, they suggested that she had already moved on, what with her dating a teacher and all. And deep down, Bossun knew it was probably true.

_That day at the Narita airport when I was leaving Japan, you said you loved me. I wish I knew my own feelings back then._

When Himeko had said 'I love you' to him five years ago, Bossun didn't understand it the way she had wanted him to. He thought it was just Himeko being overly emotional, and that the love she was saying was just the same kind of love he had for each and every one of his dear friends, including Himeko herself.

And he had foolishly, though innocently, said he loved her too, just like how he loved Switch and his other friends. And he totally forgot about the whole thing until last year when Switch broke to him the news about Himeko dating some guy. It left him reeling.

 _Why was I so dense? I was supposed to be very smart and yet I failed to notice her feelings even when she had laid them outright before my eyes! Why the hell did it take me_ five damn years _to realize that I've always loved her? How could I be so blind to her and my own damn feelings?_

Bossun rubbed his tired eyes with a sigh. All this thinking and worrying and regretting had taken a toll on him. Suddenly, he felt exhausted. He felt homesick.

'Ryan,' he said, closing his eyes.

'Yeah?'

'I think I should go home soon.'

'I think you should, too.'

'Will you be alright without me?'

'What do you take me for, kid? Go home already. And go get that girl.'

'… Thanks, Ryan.'

That night under the canopy of the starry skies, Bossun fell asleep with a prayer clinging to his lips, a prayer hoping that he wasn't already too late.


	2. Homecoming

Bossun looked out of the small window of the airplane. The night was clear and cloudless but all he could see were faraway city lights down below. A beautiful view, but not as beautiful as the night skies he had slept underneath for so many nights during his travels with Ryan.

In about an hour he would be landing in Narita. He was glad that he would be back to see his loved ones, but he was mostly feeling nervous. Maybe it was because he didn't tell anyone that he was coming back to Japan today. He told himself that he wanted to surprise them, but that wasn't necessarily true.

He just couldn't get himself to get in touch with anyone in his circle of family and friends before he could get himself onboard an airplane bound for home. He was afraid that he might hear news he'd rather not hear from them, especially news concerning Himeko that would make him _not_ want to return to Japan.

Bossun glanced at a flight attendant walking down the aisle checking on the passengers. At first glance she looked so much like his little sister it made him do a double take. Bossun let out a soft laugh when he realized that she didn't look _that_ much like Rumi.

 _I guess I really_ am _homesick. When was the last time I went home? How many times did I go home in these past five years anyway?_

Twice.

He had only come back to Japan twice since he first left the country after graduating from high school five years ago. He was so committed in his mission to help people that sometimes he couldn't free himself from his sense of duty.

The first time Bossun came back to Japan was a year after he left. He came back for Christmas but only for a week. He managed to get together with his family, Switch and Himeko along with some of his high school friends. Everyone was doing well then, most of his friends were either studying in university or working. They didn't change much. It felt like he had never left Japan.

The second and last time he came home was two years after that, and it was an even shorter visit. Bossun had stayed for about four days and only got to meet Switch who was coincidentally in town. He didn't get to see Himeko who was busy with exams. He had called her up, talked to her about his travels and everything else, but Bossun was still rather disappointed about not seeing her. But he was happy to hear that she was doing well and that she had already secured a job as a teacher at their alma mater, Kaimei High. He was glad that she would get to live her dream.

He, too, was living his dream. When Bossun first started travelling, he was overwhelmed. He wanted to see more, to go further; he was like a kid taking everything in. In the beginning, he didn't think much of home. His mind and body were pretty much preoccupied with what he had decided to do. He kept on thinking, churning out ideas with that brilliant mind of his, finding ways on how to help more and more people, how to make them happy.

But as the years went by, his mind tended to wander closer to home. Bossun had wondered how his twin brother was doing in medical school. He doubted Sasuke would have any trouble with his studies. Switch, well, he was sure his friend would breeze through his years in university (which he did). As for Himeko, he didn't have any doubt whatsoever that she would be a great teacher. He was sure of it.

After the last time he left home, in the theater of his mind Bossun kept replaying the memories he had with Himeko and Switch.

Especially the ones with Himeko.

He kept seeing the seventeen-year-old Himeko in her yukata at the last summer festival they went together, smiling, laughing, calling out to him. How she had handed him her broken geta and he had swiftly fixed it for her. And the time when she was kidnapped during their trip to Osaka; how he was _so_ _worried_ about her safety, _so_ _enraged_ that anyone would put a finger on her, would hurt her. And then the sound of her crying in the crook of his neck after he had saved her, the feel of her trembling body against his own sore body, and the look on her bruised face as she stared at him, as if wanting to say something. He had often wondered what was it that Himeko had wanted to tell him that night.

These were the things that Bossun kept thinking of when he had time to himself during his travels, when he felt loneliness creeping up on him.

On his birthday last year, while reading all the birthday wishes sent to him by those who remembered, he received a call from Switch. He was at an airport in one of the countries in the Middle-east waiting for his next flight when Switch called to wish him happy birthday.

'And I got something to tell you,' Switch had said seriously after they had had a lengthy chat.

'Yeah? What's that?'

'I'm officially with Momoka now.'

Bossun remembered processing what Switch had just said and then screaming like crazy into his phone. Suspicious eyes at the airport were trained on him for a while as he talked excitedly to Switch.

'So you guys are really together now, huh? I'm happy for you, man.'

'Thanks Bossman, oops, I mean, Bossun.'

'Bossman? Man, Momoka's got too heavy an influence on you, Switch!'

'No, she doesn't. Anyway, I have something else to tell you.'

'What? Don't tell me you guys are getting married already? No, don't… don't tell me you guys are gonna have a baby soon?!'

'Calm down, Bossun. It has nothing to do with me or Momoka.'

'Eh?'

'Himeko is dating a teacher.'

Bossun had stayed quiet for about a minute after hearing that.

'What? Himeko–'

'Okay, gotta go now, Bossman. Take care!'

'What? Switch wai–'

Bossun was left with a dead dial tone on the other end. Damn Switch.

That was the moment when he started feeling the seed of jealousy growing inside of him, although it took him almost a year to realize what that feeling actually was.

.o.o.o.

As he walked through the arrivals gate, Bossun felt a tingling sensation in his limbs.

_I'm back._

It felt good to be back, and this time he knew he would be staying for a long while. He had decided that he would spend some quality time with the people who were important to him. Ryan even threatened him to not come back until he got himself 'the pretty girl in the picture.'

_Yeah, I'll do just that._

'Yuusuke?'

'Bossun?'

Two familiar voices, one saying his real name and the other his nickname.

Bossun turned to look and a wide smile appeared on his face as he saw Sasuke and Switch standing not far away from him.

'Sasuke! Switch! How…?'

He was sure he didn't tell anyone he was coming home.

'Yuusuke, you fool! Why didn't you tell me you were coming home today?!' Sasuke practically yelled before casting a look at the man beside him. 'Usui, did you know about this?'

'Hell, no,' Switch answered, looking over at his best friend.

He noticed Bossun looked a bit different now. He was taller, almost as tall as Switch himself, and he looked more mature and adult from the way he carried himself. But that familiar, childish, heart-warming smile of his was still the same as ever.

'How did you guys know I was coming home today? Don't tell me you've invented a machine that could predict the future?' Bossun asked Switch excitedly. He didn't expect to see familiar faces at the airport.

'What nonsense,' Sasuke commented with a frown on his face as he took a step towards his twin brother and caught him in an embrace. 'Welcome back, Yuusuke. I thought you would never come home again.'

Before Bossun could say anything to him, Sasuke had already let go of him and stepped away, his face was a slight shade of red. Switch came up to him and offered a handshake.

'Welcome back, Bossun,' he said as he shook his best friend's hand and pulled him into an embrace. 'I knew you'd be back,' Switch said quietly and gave him a look that Bossun didn't quite get.

'So, what are you guys doing here? Going somewhere? You guys gonna leave when I've only arrived?'

'Stop whining, Yuusuke. We were just sending off Onizuka and Rumi,' Sasuke said.

'Eh? Himeko and Rumi? Where were they heading to?'

'Okinawa. Rumi has some independent research to do there for her course project, but she didn't want to go alone so she dragged Himeko along,' Switch explained, pushing his hair out of his eyes. He really _was_ looking more and more like a model. 'Poor Rumi, though. I'm sure Himeko will go crazy and out of control over there with all the cute Okinawan shisas.'

'I assume you're home for her wedding with that teacher?' Sasuke asked. 'But how come she told you about it? She was the one who insisted us all to not tell you anything about it yet. Although the wedding's only a month away now.'

Bossun stood stunned with a loud ringing in his ears. He couldn't possibly believe what he had just heard.

_Wedding? Himeko's wedding? She's getting married to that teacher? It can't be. Am I already too late?_

He felt his body go numb, all of his senses shutting down. He could see Sasuke and Switch still talking to him, their lips moving, but he didn't hear a word they said. He was too shocked to care what they had to say to him. This was the kind of news he'd rather not hear when he decided not to get in touch with anyone at home too often.

But here it was.

He felt like his knees were giving out. His head was spinning, the two familiar faces in front of him were slowly swirling like a Van Gogh painting he once saw at a museum in New York.

_Himeko is getting married? To some guy I don't even know? No no no no dammit NO!_

'Yuusuke. Oi, Fujisaki Yuusuke! Are you listening to me?'

Sasuke's gritty voice snapped Bossun out of his little world of disbelief. His brother had his hand on his shoulder, shaking him slightly when Bossun didn't seem to hear a word of what he had just said.

'Huh?'

'I said I have to go now. I have to help out my father with his patients at the clinic. Come drop by our house for dinner whenever you're free, okay? I'll see you later,' Sasuke patted him on the arm and headed for the exit.

Bossun watched his brother leave without really seeing anything.

'Always the busy doctor, your brother, although he's not a real doctor yet,' Switch commented.

'… Yeah,' Bossun mumbled without really understanding what Switch was saying. For all he knew, his friend could have been speaking in some obscure language he didn't understand, although he had picked up a few languages from his travels.

'Bossun, are you alright?' Switch asked when he saw the unfocused look on his friend's face. Bossun realized then he was making Switch worry about him. How pathetic.

_Get yourself together, Fujisaki! Snap out of it!_

'Uh… yeah. I'm alright,' Bossun said, rubbing the back of his neck.

'Well, come on. I'll drive you home.'

'Thanks, Switch,' Bossun said quietly.

He still couldn't get Himeko out of his mind.

'So, Himeko's getting hitched, huh?' he said with a nervous laugh, trying to sound like he wasn't really interested about it. 'Who would've thought she'd get married so soon, right, Switch?'

Bossun stopped in his tracks when he noticed his friend wasn't there walking alongside him. Switch was watching him with a look Bossun couldn't quite decipher; it was like a sudden realization had dawned on him, there was a look of comprehension on his face, and then he gave the puzzled Bossun a small sympathetic smile as he continued with his stride.

'What's wrong?' Bossun asked.

'Oh, nothing,' Switch said with a vocal sigh, that sympathetic smile still on his face as he looked at Bossun. 'You're pitiful.'

'Huh?'

Switched just shook his head and answered Bossun's earlier question instead.

'I was surprised too when Himeko told me she's getting married. The once fearsome Onihime finally settling down to be a graceful wife to a respectable teacher. What a beautiful marriage it would be, right, Bossun?' Switch said, glancing at his gloomy friend who was walking with his shoulders slumped.

'I guess so…' Bossun said with a sigh.

He felt like his world was coming to an end.

.o.o.o.

With a very heavy sigh, Bossun leaned back in the front passenger seat of Switch's car, listening to the low hum of the engine as he closed his eyes. He suddenly felt exhausted, like there was a giant boulder on his shoulders.

'How was your flight?' Switch asked from the driver's seat, turning the steering wheel as he exited the airport's parking lot.

'Not too bad, I guess,' Bossun mumbled a little incoherently.

He was obviously still affected by the news he'd heard just now. He didn't feel like talking. More like he couldn't, although his mind wouldn't stop thinking. He just felt a clutching ache in his chest.

'I thought I saw Rumi up there. One of the flight attendants kinda looked like her from a certain angle.'

Switch let out a laugh.

'Rumi, huh? Missing your little sister much? Did she or your mom know you were coming home today? Rumi didn't mention anything to me earlier,' he said, keeping his bespectacled eyes on the quiet road.

'Nope. I haven't spoken to Rumi in ages, and I didn't really tell my mom anything. Actually, I didn't tell anyone I was coming back,' Bossun answered, looking out of the window at the familiar cityscape.

'Why? I can't believe you didn't at least tell me. I feel kinda betrayed,' Switch said a little dramatically.

Bossun shrugged. 'I don't know. It was an impulsive decision.'

Switch sneaked a glance at his friend.

'Did something happen?'

'Not really.'

'You sure?'

Bossun inhaled deeply, but then he decided not to give a reply to that. He watched the incoming traffic light turned red as Switch slowed down the car and came to a stop.

'Hey, Bossun?'

'Yeah?'

'Are you okay with Himeko getting married?'

Bossun turned to look at Switch, feeling a little flustered by his question.

'What do you mean? She doesn't need my permission to get married,' he replied, throwing his gaze out of the window again, trying to sound nonchalant.

'So you're okay with it?' Switch asked again, this time a little more insistently.

Bossun remained silent but his hands were balled into tight fists. Of course he wasn't okay with it. Hell, he was feeling depressed because of it.

'You know, I've always thought she would end up with you,' Switch continued to voice out his thoughts.

Bossun cast him a look from the corner of his eye, feeling slightly agitated by his friend's constant meddling.

'What the hell are you trying to say, Switch?'

'You love her,' Switch stated as he stepped on the pedal when the light turned green.

Bossun noticed how Switch had said it like it was a fact (which it was) but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. Leave it to Switch to figure out his feelings when he had never actually talked to him about it.

'You should tell her how you feel,' Switch suggested as he turned into a corner.

'What do you mean? I don't have feelings for her,' Bossun snapped before he could stop himself.

_Dammit, why did I say that?!_

Switch barked a laugh of disbelief at Bossun's words.

'You're still saying that? Come on, Bossun. You know I know how you really feel about Himeko. You've never talked to me about it, but trust me, I _know_ your true feelings. Don't tell me you haven't realize your own feelings yet? It's been, what, five years since you first left? Be honest for once. You're not a kid anymore, you know.'

Yes, for some reason Bossun had always felt that Switch knew about his feelings for Himeko, whether or not he had told him about it. But it still annoyed the hell out of him how Switch was condescendingly telling him to stop acting like a kid, because he wasn't. He was just having a hard time admitting to anyone other than himself that he was in love with Himeko.

'She's getting married, Switch,' Bossun finally said.

'So? She's still not married now,' Switch pointed out. 'It'll be harder to tell her your feelings once she's married, Bossun.'

'But would that change anything? She's still going to get married,' Bossun reasoned, not really understanding why they were having this conversation. It was pointless.

'Yeah, but at least you _let her know_ how you feel about her,' Switch emphasized as he flicked the indicator, signaling left and turned the car into a corner, slowly approaching Bossun's apartment building.

'I don't know, Switch. I can't think straight right now,' Bossun replied with a sigh although his mood was lifted a bit at the familiar sight of his home apartment. At least he was home.

'Here you are, Bossun. Home sweet home,' Switch said in a sing-song voice as he parked the car in front of the building.

'Thanks for the ride, man. I'll see you around,' Bossun said as he got out of the car with his luggage.

'Hey, Bossun!' Switch called out before his friend could push the door close. 'Don't do anything stupid, okay?'

Bossun turned around to face Switch with an incredulous look on his face.

'What does that supposed to mean?'

'Well, you look kinda depressed, I'm scared you're going to do something that might not be the best for you,' Switch cryptically responded.

'I really don't get what you're trying to say, man,' Bossun muttered tiredly, closing the passenger's door with a thud.

Switch watched Bossun ran a hand through his hair before rubbing the back of his neck as he waved him goodbye.

'I'll come hang out with you tomorrow, okay. See ya,' Switch waved back before driving off into the quiet night.

Bossun let out a long sigh as he dragged himself up to the floor where his home was. This wasn't what he had expected. These irritable emotions he was feeling were uncalled for. He wanted to return home feeling happy, dammit!

Bossun stared at the front door of his mother's house for a minute before pushing the doorbell once. Twice. His mother was taking a while to open the door. Maybe she went out. He glanced at his watch before remembering he didn't set it to Japan time. What time was it now? His mother was probably sleeping.

The door opened suddenly, and a woman appeared in the doorway, her hair in a disheveled bun, a pencil tucked behind one ear, a phone in her hand. Akane stared at the young man in front of her for a moment, before pulling him into a forceful, tight embrace.

'Yuusuke… Yuusuke…' she sobbed against her son's shoulder. 'It's really you, right? I'm not dreaming, right?'

'It's really me, Mom,' Bossun assured, putting his arms around his mother.

Was his mother always this small? He stood more than a head taller than her now. Bossun hugged her tighter, realizing how much he'd missed her and her motherly warmth.

'I'm home,' he said softly.

Akane pulled back from him, cupping his face in her trembling hands as she looked up at her son, smiling with happy tears in her eyes.

'Welcome home, Yuusuke.'


	3. Acceptance

The digital clock on his dusty nightstand flashed an angry red '4.25 AM' in the dark bedroom. Bossun sat at his old study desk, staring at the perfectly arranged mangas on the shelf in front of him.

_How nostalgic._

These were the mangas that managed to successfully distract him countless of times whenever he tried to study during his high school days. And it was for that reason that he would later find himself in Himeko's room, trying to do a group study with her and Switch. They didn't get much studying done until Himeko's mother came barging into the room and stood by the door all night like a supervisor from hell to make sure that they were actually studying.

Bossun looked out of his window with a sigh and a small smile at the memory.

_There I go again, thinking about the bride-to-be without meaning to._

This was killing him. It was even harder now _not_ to think of Himeko after he had seen how her future husband looked like. He was a bloody good-looking guy that reminded Bossun so much of Agata Soujiro. A tall, handsome guy teaching English.

Damn.

Just hours before, after his mother was done crying her happy tears, they had a long chat at the dinner table. Bossun had assured her that he was fine but Akane was worried about his sudden return.

'What's wrong? Did something happen?' she had asked, looking very concerned for her son.

'Nothing's wrong, Mom. I just felt like coming home.'

It was the truth, technically. Nothing actually happened except that he was suddenly afraid that he would be too late to tell Himeko how he felt. It seemed that he _was_ already too late.

'Did Rumi tell you about it?'

'About what?'

'The wedding, Yuusuke.'

_Oh._

'No. I haven't talk to Rumi in a while.'

'Eh? But Yuusuke–'

'When will she be back?'

'Tomorrow night. Yuusuke–'

Akane's phone on the kitchen countertop rang as the room was suddenly filled with a Japanese pop song Bossun didn't recognize. He did manage to catch some of the ridiculously inane lyrics, though. Apparently, it was about a girl asking her boyfriend to play baseball with her.

'That's an interesting song choice for a ringto–'

'Rumi set it without me knowing it! That girl!' Akane grumbled as she answered the phone. Her voice turned sweet and gentle as she talked to the person on the other end of the line. And then there was a yelp.

'Eh?!'

Bossun looked up at his mother's sudden loud voice.

'Is everything okay?' he asked quietly, gesturing with his hands.

Akane shook her head with a dismissive wave before disappearing into her room. She reappeared a few minutes later with a look Bossun couldn't really figure out.

'Mom, everything okay?' he asked again. His mother was acting a little weird, it made him worry.

'Yeah, don't worry about it. It's just about… work,' Akane said with a smile.

She reached for a pot of hot coffee on the countertop and poured a mug for herself and Bossun as her son watched her. From the look of her crumpled clothes, the unkempt hair, the dark rings under her eyes, Bossun could easily tell that his mother was overworking herself.

'You've got a lot of work lately?' he asked as he headed towards his mother's darkened working room where she did all her clothes designing and sewing.

Indeed, the room was a mess with all kinds of fabric strewn everywhere, rolls of colourful threads scattered on her working table with design illustrations put up on the walls like old forgotten celebrity posters. Bossun was about to comment on his mother's untidiness when he saw something that left him rooted to the spot.

In one corner of the room, an almost obscured mannequin stood in a gorgeous lacy wedding dress, the whiteness of the fabric glowed in the dimly-lit room.

'Mom, is that…?' Bossun started, his voice almost a whisper. He couldn't tear his eyes from the dress.

'Oh, Yuusuke… that's–'

'You're the one making Himeko's wedding dress?' Bossun turned to look at his mother. Akane stared at him, somewhat speechless.

'Yuusuke, actually…'

Bossun waited for her to continue but she didn't.

'Actually what, Mom?'

Slowly, Akane closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh.

'Actually, Himeko came to me asking if I could design her wedding dress, and I said yes. And there it is, almost done,' she said, her eyes not meeting her son's.

'The dress, it's… beautiful,' Bossun said, his voice was barely audible, his eyes were unable to look away from the mannequin.

Akane noticed the quiver in his voice and it almost broke her heart. She couldn't possibly stand seeing her son getting hurt. Gently, she placed her hands on each side of Bossun's face and looked at him intently. There was a glazed look in her son's eyes. On impulse, she hugged him vehemently, pulling Bossun out of his trance.

'I'm sorry, Yuusuke,' she breathed. 'Forgive me for this.'

Bossun heard the guilt in his mother's voice, which rattled him a little. She was acting too emotional for a small thing like this. Sure, he was somewhat shocked to see Himeko's wedding dress, but he wasn't hurt (well, that was what he told himself). He just felt reality dawning on him. That Himeko really _was_ getting married.

'No. Mom, it's okay. Why do you sound so stricken? It makes sense for you to make Himeko's wedding dress. She's like family to us. I know you think of her something like your daughter. It's the same as, well, you making Rumi's wedding dress, I guess.' He felt his mother stiffened at his words. 'Yeah, I can't imagine Rumi getting married to anyone, too,' Bossun said with a laugh. 'Don't worry about it, Mom,' he assured, patting his mother's head awkwardly. Really, his mother was acting weird tonight.

'No, that's not it,' Akane said, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

'Then what is it?'

Bossun felt her embrace tightened before she let him go. Akane pushed her hair out of her eyes, looked at her son's puzzled face, and smiled slightly.

'It's… nothing, Yuusuke,' she said, ushering him out of her working room towards the dinner table.

Akane took out a luxurious gold tin box from the fridge and offered it to him. Bossun took off the lid with the embossed cursive writing to find perfectly arranged chocolates of various shapes inside the box.

'Wow, this is a lot of expensive-looking chocolates. Are these from Belgium?' he asked as he picked a piece shaped like a dove. It kind of reminded him of something. Something about Valentine's Day?

_Yeah. The chocolate Himeko gave me in high school. A chocolate shaped like a dove. Or was it a heart-shaped chocolate? I couldn't really tell. All I remember was the taste. So sweet. In a good way._

'Where did you get these?' he asked as he popped the chocolate into his mouth.

'It was a gift from Tezuka Aoi,' Akane said before she could stop herself.

'Tezuka Aoi? Who's that?'

Akane hesitated for a moment before saying, '… The future husband.'

Bossun stopped munching the ridiculously delicious chocolate in his mouth and stayed quiet until he had swallowed it with apparent difficulty.

'So… his name is Tezuka Aoi,' he said to himself. 'Very nice of him to get you a gift this expensive. So you've met him?'

Akane's face was beaming as soon as he asked her that, clasping her hands to her chest with probably too much enthusiasm for Bossun's liking.

'Of course I have! He's absolutely _gorgeous_! And a gentleman with a heart of gold, and he says I'm _too_ _young_ to be Rumi's mother because according to him, I look ten years younger than my real age! Oh, he praises me too much!'

Bossun stared at his mother almost in disbelief.

_Is this for real?_ _This future husband guy must really be_ _something_ _for Mom to be smitten like this._

'I think the only reason you like him so much is because he says you look young,' Bossun pointed out in a flat voice.

'That's not true!' Akane quipped, looking a little embarrassed. Bossun couldn't help smiling at the look on his mother's face.

'And let me tell you why I like him, Yuusuke; it's because he's a very nice man. Look, he gave me that expensive box of chocolates even though I'm not related to Himeko,' Akane added, her finger pointing at the gold tin on the table in front of her son.

'Whatever you say, Mom,' Bossun shrugged, feeling a little dejected. 'By the way, do you have a picture of this guy? He can't be _that_ great.'

His mother looked at him doubtfully. 'I'm not sure if I have a picture of him. Do you really want to have a look?'

'Why not? I might as well have a look at the guy who managed to tame the Onihime.'

For a short while, Akane considered whether or not to show her son Tezuka Aoi's picture.

'Just check my gallery. I'm sure there's one in there,' she finally handed him her phone and headed towards the kitchen to fetch some cookies.

'Are you sure you're okay with this? I might stumble across a picture of your boyfriend or something,' Bossun joked, fumbling with his mother's phone and accidentally tapped open the call logs. He was a bit surprised to see the name Usui Kazuyoshi topping the name list.

_Was that Switch who called Mom just now?_

'Mom… did you deliberately let me go through your phone so that I would find out you're actually dating Switch?'

Akane turned to look at Bossun with a look of utter perplexity on her face, ready to shout incredulous words at her son before realizing a moment later that he was actually joking.

'What the hell is that incredible mind of yours thinking,' Akane sighed with a shake of her head. She grabbed her phone from the snickering Bossun and rapidly slid her thumb against the screen. 'Well… Kazuyoshi called to ask me if you were fine. He said he was a little worried and asked me to keep an eye on you,' she harrumphed.

'What? Seriously, what the hell did he think I was going to do?' Bossun muttered. Switch was definitely over-reacting towards nothing.

'Here,' Akane shoved her phone in her son's face and announced somewhat proudly, 'Tezuka Aoi, an English teacher at your former school, Kaimei High.'

Bossun stared silently at the picture in his mother's phone. There she was, a pretty Himeko smiling happily next to a tall, good-looking man who looked like he could be a model instead of a teacher. Rumi was in the picture too, standing at the man's other side, smiling shyly and looking a bit flustered.

'You're right… he _is_ good-looking,' Bossun muttered bitterly. 'Does Rumi know this Tezuka, too? Looks like the three of them are friends.'

'Something like that, I guess,' Akane answered, trying to stifle a yawn.

Bossun glanced at the kitchen clock only to realize that it was almost two in the morning. No wonder his mother hadn't stopped yawning; he had kept her up. He had then ushered her to go to sleep and faked a yawn or two, saying he was tired and needed sleep before heading for his bedroom.

And in that dark bedroom he sat brooding. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't think straight, he couldn't possibly think what he should do, and dammit he couldn't stop thinking about Himeko.

'What am I even doing back here?' Bossun said to himself, running his hands through his messy hair over and over as if that would make things better. 'This sucks.'

He wasn't sure if he had made the right decision to come home. Things were really not going his way now, not with the news that had hit him like a typhoon right after he had touched down. Maybe he shouldn't have come back. He was supposed to go to France with Ryan right about now if he hadn't wanted to return to Japan out of a sudden. Maybe he'd be better off travelling around France than having to bear this ache in his heart.

Bossun stopped messing up his hair abruptly as the thought of going to France reminded him of something. He got up and started rummaging through his luggage, pulling out clothes, maps, notebooks until he found what he was looking for.

In his hand was a small blue velvet box and inside it was a delicate silver necklace with a matching circular pendant.

He had bought it about two years ago on an impulse. It was his first time in Paris, wondering around the fashionable rue de la Paix alone while waiting for Ryan who had to run an errand there when he came across a small jewelry boutique that piqued his interest. He didn't really know what had made him take a step into the store but once he was inside, the thought of getting a necklace for Himeko never left his mind. In fact, the thought took over him so strongly that he was determined to _not_ leave the store until he had bought a necklace for Himeko. He knew these trinkets could be really expensive but he couldn't care less. At that moment, he was willing to spend his money for Himeko.

Choosing which necklace to get her was almost too easy. It only took him one look at all the collections to figure out which one to buy. The simplicity of the circular pendant with its delicate silver chain caught his eye from the get-go. He couldn't really explain why he felt the necklace would suit Himeko perfectly, but he knew she would love it. And that was even _before_ he had realized his own feelings for her.

Bossun stared at the necklace glancing off the moonlight in the darkened room, wondering what he'd do with it now that Himeko will be someone else's wife. Was it alright if he gave it to her as a gift from a close friend? Or was it too personal in nature to give a piece of jewelry as a gift to someone else's girl? More importantly, would she accept it?

Bossun replaced the necklace into the box, weighing it gingerly in his hand. Maybe he should just throw it away somewhere he wouldn't be able to find it again.

Somewhere like the river.

With a heavy sigh, he stood up.

'The river god better be happy with it,' he muttered, slipping the velvet box into the pocket of his parka hanging on the wall. He would pay the river a visit tomorrow to offer it an expensive gift.


	4. Realization

His plan to go to the river in the morning didn't pan out.

Bossun had only woken up near afternoon, feeling lethargic and unmotivated, and the pounding in his head wasn't helping. He didn't feel like leaving his room but remembering what he had decided the night before, Bossun dragged his body out of his bed and got himself ready for what was left of the day.

It took him some time to figure out what day it was until he checked his phone. It was a Saturday but the house was quiet. He was sauntering around the house looking for his mother when he found a note on the kitchen table.

 _Yuusuke, I'll be out for most of the day; need to see my clients. Lunch is in the fridge. I hope you still remember how to use the microwave to reheat it._ – _Mom_

Bossun sighed as he tossed the note into the paper bin.

_So I'm all alone today, huh?_

He whiled away the afternoon watching TV, feeling somewhat lost with all the unfamiliar programs and celebrities gracing the screen. Since his departure from the house years ago, his gaming console and games had long been pushed to the very back of the TV cabinet and were left there to collect dust and had become quite the spider web haven. Bossun didn't have the mood nor the motivation to dig them out so he left them there and stared mindlessly at the blaring TV screen. Somehow, all the female celebrities looked more or less the same like the flight attendant that he had thought looked like Rumi last night.

_Must be the makeup._

Bossun stared at the screen for a moment longer before suddenly messing his hair up, feeling frustrated.

_What am I doing? Shouldn't I do something about Himeko? I shouldn't be sitting here thinking why these girls have the same damn makeup! I should think about how to tell Himeko how I feel._

'Ugh…' Bossun leaned back against the sofa. 'But what _can_ I do about Himeko? She's getting married already. Telling her I love her wouldn't change a thing.'

His voice sounded loud in the empty house, and that fact didn't go unnoticed. It made him feel lonely.

_I need to get out._

.o.o.o.

The sun was hanging low above the horizon but Bossun couldn't really tell what time it was. In his hurry to leave the house, he had forgotten to grab anything else besides his parka with the necklace inside one of its pockets. Without his phone or his watch, he couldn't really check the time and without his wallet, he couldn't really go far, not that he wanted to.

He had been walking around the neighbourhood aimlessly, noting what had changed and what had remained the same. It was not until after a while that his feet seemed to suddenly found a purpose and led him to his alma mater, Kaimei High.

As it was a Saturday, naturally the school grounds were mostly deserted. The school gate was left ajar, so Bossun took a step inside. He looked around, noticing that the school hadn't change much.

_I wonder if the Sket Dan still exist._

He saw a group of students in PE attire lounging under a tree near the school main building, chatting and playing around.

The sound of someone sneezing not far away from him made him turn to look. A girl in a PE attire was taking a break under a tree near the school gate, wiping her nose with a small towel hung around her neck before taking big gulps of cool water from her tumbler.

Bossun looked at her intently; dark hair tied in a ponytail, small frame.

He knew who she was.

'Saaya!' he called out and headed towards the girl who was looking at him with a startled look on her face.

'...B-Bossun?!' she cried when she realized who he was, suddenly leaping to hug him before letting go immediately, her face as red as a tomato. 'What are you doing here? When did you come back?' she asked, looking up at him with big wide eyes before looking away with a frown. 'D-Don't get the wrong idea, okay? It-It's not like I miss you or anything like that!' she stammered.

'Still the same as ever, huh, Saaya?' Bossun said with a wide grin on his face. He really didn't think he would find Saaya here. 'What are you doing at Kaimei?' he asked, noticing that she was in her PE clothes. She couldn't still be a student at Kaimei, right?

'I'm a teacher here. Just started teaching two months ago.'

'A teacher? Wow! That's great, Saaya! What do you teach?'

'Science. But now I'm also a… temporary PE teacher,' Saaya said timidly.

She scowled, feeling her face burning red again when she saw the surprised look on Bossun's face.

'D-Don't look so shocked! I was terrified too when the headmaster asked me to become a temporary PE teacher. Mrs Tanaka was on maternity leave and I was still new in the faculty. I couldn't really decline the headmaster's request, could I?'

'Even when you know you're not good at PE?' Bossun asked. He could still remember how Saaya had come to seek help from the Sket Dan regarding her ineptness at sports years ago. But through hard work, she eventually overcame her problem.

'I was afraid at first, that I wouldn't be a good PE teacher. But I knew I could do it so I tried my best at it,' Saaya said with determination. She looked up at Bossun and smiled, 'And now I'm glad I didn't decline the headmaster's request. I love being a PE teacher. It's tiring and hard work but I love it. My students, they are all very supportive of me,' she said, gesturing at the students near the school building Bossun saw earlier. 'They were the ones who wanted to help me become a better PE teacher and suggested that we come here for practice every other Saturday,' Saaya smiled shyly as she looked down at her feet. 'They kind of reminded me of you, and the Sket Dan.'

'That's nice,' Bossun said with a big smile on his face. After all these years, Saaya still remembered the Sket Dan.

'So, to answer my earlier questions,' Saaya looked up at him suddenly, folding her arms. 'When did you come home? How come I didn't know about it?'

Bossun stared at the ground for a while, sighing.

'Touched down last night. Came home because I felt like it,' Bossun answered curtly. He didn't really want to explain himself.

Saaya was quiet for a moment before she spoke with a small voice.

'You're back home to see Himeko, right?'

Bossun couldn't possibly give an honest answer to her so he kept quiet. The girl glanced at him when he didn't reply, a look of sudden realization on her face.

'You must be home for the wedding? Right?' she asked, somewhat eagerly. Bossun didn't understand why she sounded so relieved. 'Getting married to Tezuka Aoi…' Saaya sighed longingly, cupping her face in her hands with a dreamy look in her eyes. 'It must be really nice.'

'Wait. You know this Tezuka guy, too?' Bossun asked, surprised. Was this Tezuka actually a hot celebrity like he initially thought? Everybody seemed to know him.

'Of course I know him. He's an English teacher at Kaimei, Bossun. I'm sure you know that. But really, he's such a dreamy guy I think every girl in school was in love with him at some point.'

'Is he really _that_ great? I think he looks like your brother, which isn't saying much,' Bossun lied, somehow feeling irritated at the direction the conversation was swerving into.

'My brother? Hm… I don't think Tezuka Aoi looks anything like him,' Saaya contemplated. 'Anyways, I'm sure–'

'Bossun! There you are!'

Both of them turned around to see Switch running in their direction, waving his arms dramatically like he was in a reunion scene of a movie.

'God, Bossun! Why is it so hard to reach you? Why didn't you answer your damn phone?' Switch asked, out of breath from the running.

'Sorry, Switch. I left it at home. What's up?'

Switch harrumphed as he pushed his glinting spectacles up his nose bridge. He turned to address Saaya.

'Saaya, if you don't mind. I would like to borrow Mr Fujisaki Yuusuke here for a while,' he said as he put an arm around Bossun's shoulders. Saaya looked at Switch, and then at Bossun. She looked like a reluctant child who had been told to stop playing and go home because the day was getting dark.

'Yes, sure. I've got to go back to my students anyway. Bye, Bossun. Bye, Switch. See you guys later!' Saaya chirped and jogged off towards her group of students near the school building before anyone could say anything. The boys couldn't help noticing the disappointment in her voice.

'Does she still like you, Bossun?' Switch asked out of nowhere, watching Saaya head towards the school kids.

'How should I know? We didn't talk about that.'

'Then what did you guys talk about?'

'Nothing much. It was a coincidence that we met here anyway.'

Bossun slipped his hands into his parka pockets and was immediately reminded of what he actually intended to do today.

'She said Tezuka is a great guy,' he spat out those words bitterly, not really knowing why he said that. He probably just wanted his best friend to disagree with Saaya's opinion so that he could rest assured. 'I'm sure you know him, too. Seems like everyone here knows him.' He sounded like an annoyed brat, he knew, but he didn't care.

'Tezuka Aoi _is_ a great guy. He sure would make any girl happy, in this case, Himeko–'

'I'm leaving,' Bossun announced tersely. He felt like punching Switch.

_Can't you see I'm hurting here?_

'Sorry, Bossun,' Switch said although he didn't really sound like he was sorry. 'Anyway, I went to your house just now to hang out but no one was around.'

'Yeah, I got something to do. I'm heading to the river.'

'The river? What for?'

'I'm offering a gift to the river god today,' Bossun simply said as he made his way out of the school compound.

'What? What river god?' Switch asked curiously as he ran after him.

Bossun laughed as Switch caught up with him, punching him lightly in the shoulder as he profusely asked Bossun what he actually meant. It felt like the years hadn't gone by as the two of them walked through the neighbourhood, acting like school boys going home from school; poking, punching, joking as they made their way towards the river.

.o.o.o.

Switch stared at the necklace in the blue box in his hand. He couldn't believe his dense friend would buy something as thoughtful and girly as this for Himeko.

'You want to throw this into the river?' he asked.

Bossun nodded.

'And you bought this before you even realized you had feelings for Himeko?'

Bossun's face was turning red as he nodded again, sitting still on the slope by the river with his arms around his drawn-up knees. Hearing Switch said that out loud was embarrassing. He had had enough embarrassment earlier when he finally admitted to Switch how he really felt towards Himeko.

Switch sighed heavily.

'At least you _finally_ realized your own feelings. I thought you never would,' Switch said as he handed the box back to Bossun. 'I mean, how dense can you get?'

'What do you mean?' Bossun retorted, slipping the velvet box back into his parka pocket. Truthfully, now that he was at the river he was unwilling to part with the necklace.

Switch was quiet for a while before asking, 'When did you actually realize you were in love with Himeko?'

Bossun pulled out the grass at his feet.

'Well, like I told you just now. I kinda felt something when you called me on my birthday and said she was dating a teacher,' he said, throwing the pulled-out grass into the wind. 'Although it took me some time to realize what it actually was.'

Switch looked at Bossun with some curiosity.

'When we were in Kaimei, didn't you feel anything for Himeko? Anything at all?'

'Well… I don't think so,' Bossun said, scratching his temple with a finger.

'You're lying.'

'No, I'm not!'

Switch let out another sigh.

'Did you know that the _whole school_ knew there was something going on between you and Himeko, and that you two were the only ones who didn't realize it?'

'What? Come on, Switch! There wasn't anything between us then–'

'Look, Bossun. You, me, Himeko; the three of us were all in the Sket Dan. We were always together in that small club room. You think I didn't see what was going on between you guys? I was practically observing the two of you _everyday_. I'm sure you still remember Kakiuchi Jin, that guy who had a crush on Himeko? Well, he was right when he said the two of you were like a pair of old married couple. I couldn't agree more.'

Bossun scratched his head. 'You think so?' he asked awkwardly.

'Yes, I _do_ think so. You just didn't realize it. Remember when you thought Himeko was dating Katou Kiri?' Switch smirked. 'You were so damn jealous of him it drove you crazy.'

Switch was right. He did go crazy with jealousy when he thought Himeko was dating Katou Kiri, but at that time he thought he was just angry at Himeko because she didn't tell him that they were dating.

'So, I must have fallen for her by that time?' Bossun vaguely guessed. He heard another exasperated sigh coming out of Switch.

'I don't understand how you can be so brilliant at almost anything and yet fail to figure out something as simple as this,' Switch complained. 'Maybe we should stop trying to figure out when you fell for Himeko. For all we know, you probably fell in love with her at first sight but that dense head of yours couldn't comprehend what your heart was actually feeling.'

Maybe Switch was right again. Maybe he _did_ fall for Himeko at first sight.

During their first year, seeing Himeko sitting all alone at her desk at school, Bossun couldn't get the image of her out of his mind. And then he finally got the chance to talk to her when he saw her about to throw away the red Popman hat she had accidentally brought to school. Bossun was elated when she said he could have it. And that was how they became friends, despite how their friendship started with them bickering like a comedy duo.

Bossun lay down on the slope with his hands interlocked behind his head, thinking about the past.

'Himeko told me about her confession to you at the airport before you left the first time,' Switch suddenly said, looking at a group of kids playing by the river. 'I'm sure she gave you a very straightforward confession since she knew you were dense as a brick about these things.'

'Hey!' Bossun protested at Switch's description of him.

'It's the truth,' Switch said, unperturbed. 'You _are_ dense when it comes to things concerning the heart.'

'No, I'm not!'

'Then how come you didn't understand what she was actually saying? Anyone would have understood with just an "I love you".'

'I don't know! She's _Himeko_! I mean, well, I can't really explain–'

'How come you understood that Saaya liked you when she confessed to you but didn't when Himeko did the same?'

Switch got a point there. Bossun completely understood Saaya's feelings when she said she liked him. But with Himeko…

'Well, Saaya to me at that point was no more than a friend. There was only one way for me to look at her; as a friend. So it was easy for me to sort out my feelings for her. You know, like, you wouldn't feel anything towards someone who you consider as just a friend,' Bossun said slowly as he was finding it hard to explain his feelings. 'And somehow, I knew Saaya saw me as someone who she would like to be more than friends with. It was pretty clear. I wasn't that dense. I could see right away what her "I love you" meant.'

Switch waited patiently for Bossun to continue as his friend fell silent, staring at the parading clouds.

'As for Himeko,' Bossun started softly, 'back then, saying she was just a friend would feel so wrong, because she was more than a friend to me, in so many ways. She was like family. She _is_ family. My mom already thinks of her as her own daughter and Rumi thinks of her as her big sister. And along with you, Switch, she's like my saviour, you know,' he said with a little chuckle. 'But when she's in trouble, _I_ want to be her saviour. I want to be the one who saves her. I can't possibly stand seeing her being hurt,' he admitted quietly.

He fell silent for another moment, reflecting.

'Himeko was and is everything to me. That was probably why I couldn't understand what she really meant when she said "I love you" to me. I guess I couldn't figure out what kind of love she meant when she said "I love you". I mean, she could have meant it in the familial way, or in the sisterly way, or in the friendly way, or… I don't know,' Bossun gave up explaining with a sigh. 'You get what I'm trying to say, right, Switch?'

Switch let out a laugh, shaking his head almost in disbelief.

'I really don't get how you couldn't figure out that you were in love with Himeko even though you knew she was everything to you.'

'I don't know, Switch. I don't get it either.'

'You must be a lot denser than I originally thought,' Switch commented with a laugh.

'Come on, man, cut it out,' Bossun said sheepishly.

'So, you're going to tell her how you feel?'

Bossun exhaled loudly, thinking what was the right thing to do.

'I want to, but I don't think I will. I don't want to make her feel confused when her wedding is just around the corner,' he said quietly.

'I think you should. And don't flatter yourself. Himeko got over you ages ago. If not she wouldn't be getting married to Tezuka. She won't get confused just because you confessed your feelings to her now.'

Bossun didn't know why, but hearing Switch said that really hurt.

'You want to come along with me to the airport? Rumi and Himeko will be arriving in about an hour and a half. I promised to go pick them up,' Switch offered.

Certainly, Bossun was dying to see Himeko, but he wasn't ready to hear her giving him the news of her marriage.

'I think I'll pass,' he said.

Switched looked at him, totally surprised.

'Are you sure? You must want to see her, right?'

'I do. I miss her so bad but I don't think I can face her right now,' Bossun admitted, sitting up with a grunt. 'But don't worry. I'll make sure I go congratulate her properly before the wedding.'

Switch sat silently for a while, thinking.

'Okay, if that's what you want. I hope you're not really going to throw that necklace into the river, though. It would be such a waste,' he said as he stood up, brushing the grass off of his pants. 'See you later, Bossman.'

'I told you Momoka has too much of an influence on you,' Bossun complained with a small smile.

He listened to the fading sound of Switch's footsteps as he stared at the shimmering river reflecting the late afternoon sun, the velvet box containing the necklace clutched tightly in his hand.

He really felt like throwing it into the river right now.

.o.o.o.

Bossun didn't really know how long he had been contemplating on that slope by the river. When he finally got off his train of thoughts, the last sun rays had already disappeared below the horizon.

He walked home feeling miserable, and hating himself for letting the miserableness took over him, so he tried to cheer himself up by looking forward to seeing his mother at home. But the house was dark when he got there.

_So Mom's not home yet, huh?_

Bossun couldn't be bothered to switch on the lights as he entered the house. Seeing how empty the house was would only make him feel more miserable and lonely.

He fumbled his way in the dark towards the fridge to see what was there to eat. His stomach was making seriously loud growling noises.

Just as he was about to grab a cold sandwich, the doorbell rang.

_Good timing, Mom._

'You better be bringing home dinner for your son, Mom!' Bossun said loudly like a child as he headed towards the door, relieved that Akane was finally home. 'I'm starvi–'

Bossun fell silent when he opened the door. He couldn't believe it.

'Bossun!'

In the darkness, he heard her voice calling out to him, and within seconds, Himeko had him in her familiar embrace.

'Bossun, I've missed you _so damn much_!'


	5. Reunion

In the darkened entrance hall, the light from the doorway cast distinct shadows on the floor of two people molded into one. Bossun could feel his blood rushing through his veins, his racing heartbeat loud in his ears. He was sure Himeko could hear it too, with her face buried in his shoulder like that.

Truthfully, he _felt_ her rather than saw her. Before he could get a good look at his surprise guest, Himeko had already caught him in her arms, calling out his name in that voice, in that way Bossun had unconsciously yearned.

He was too aware of her arms encircling his torso, the feel of her warm palms against his back, the brush of her soft hair against his jaw, whiffs of sweet floral shampoo coming off of it, her hot breath against his neck; they almost pushed him to the edge of panic.

'H-Himeko?' Bossun stammered. He definitely didn't expect to see her tonight.

'Bossun, you've grown so tall!' he heard Himeko say, her words muffled against him.

Indeed, he was now much taller than Himeko, almost a head taller, in fact. He could comfortably tuck her under his chin, like what he was doing now. He was suddenly aware that he had his arms around her, realizing what a small frame she had.

Himeko let go of him and stepped back to have a better look at her friend.

'Last time I saw you, you weren't this tall,' she remarked, tucking a strand of hair that had escaped from the little dove-shaped hairclip she was wearing.

'The last time you saw me was four years ago, Himeko. I guess I was still growing then,' Bossun said, rubbing the back of his neck. 'Feels like centuries ago since I last saw you,' he added quietly.

He looked at her. Stared, more like.

She looked so different now, not the Himeko he knew when they were silly teenagers. She was more feminine now, more refined. Definitely more attractive. He almost couldn't take his eyes off of her.

Himeko smiled at him, making the numerous imaginary butterflies in his stomach flutter about frantically.

'Welcome home, Bossun,' she said, her voice echoing in the dark confines of the entrance hall.

'It's good to be back,' Bossun said softly.

.o.o.o.

Bossun rocked himself back and forth with his feet anchored to the ground, the chains of the swing he was on creaking with every small push, creating a strange rhythm that went along with the loud pounding of his heart.

The night was surprisingly colder than he had expected. He rubbed his rough hands together trying to warm them, at the same time trying to clear his messed up mind.

'It's a little chilly, isn't it?' he commented, glancing over at the girl on the swing next to him.

Himeko looked so dainty in her white eyelet top and knee-length navy skirt, her legs swinging back and forth along with the swing. Bossun's heart was soaring at the moment. He had never thought he could feel so happy just looking at a girl on a swing.

'Yeah, should've brought my cardigan,' Himeko agreed as she stopped her swinging and rubbed her arms warm, holding them close to herself.

Bossun was about to offer her his parka when he suddenly remembered the necklace in its pocket, and it immediately reminded him of what he had forgotten for a while; that Himeko was getting married soon, and the happiness he was feeling right now was just temporary.

'I'm glad we went for a walk around the neighbourhood,' Himeko said, looking around the playground they were at with a nostalgic look in her eyes. 'It's been ages since I last came here.'

'Yeah,' Bossun said quietly, trying to ignore the insane pounding in his chest.

All this while, his heart was threatening to explode. He'd never thought he could be _this_ nervous just being around Himeko.

Throughout the many years of their friendship, Bossun didn't think he was ever nervous being around her. It always felt natural for Himeko to be around him, and him her. But tonight, her presence made him so nervous he could hardly think. His usually sharp and brilliant mind went blank time and time again.

After not seeing Himeko for four years, it just felt so hard for him to find his niche in their relationship and get back into rhythm with her. He couldn't remember how he had acted around her back when he didn't know his own feelings for her, and now, he didn't know how to act normally around her with the overflowing feelings he was carrying in his heart.

'Wanna walk around the neighbourhood for a bit?' Bossun had randomly suggested back at his house a while ago when his mind went blank yet again because of Himeko's smile. It mesmerized him so much he didn't know what else to say to her.

And that was how they ended up at Fureai Children's Park, the park which everyone simply called the elephant park.

Bossun stared at the two cutely designed blue and red little elephant sculptures standing next to the sand box. He remembered they were much bigger back when he was in high school. Or maybe he remembered wrong.

'Did they change the elephants?' he asked.

'Don't think so. They have always been the same elephants since forever,' Himeko said with a laugh. 'This place brings back memories, doesn't it?'

'Sure does,' Bossun agreed with a smile.

This was the place where he first rescued Himeko, in more than one way, all those years ago when she was still known as the ogress Onihime. Himeko had wanted to save their friend, Captain Takahashi Chiaki, from a couple of lying gangsters and she didn't want Bossun to get involved, so she lied to him about the location where she would be facing them. Bossun had come running to this playground after desperately looking for her at the wrong place, worried like hell for her and Captain's safety. He was so upset that she had lied to him about the actual place where she was going to face Captain's harassers, and he thought he was already too late.

Bossun would never forget how hard Himeko had cried against his shoulder that night, finally letting out all those bottled up feelings inside of her.

'Remember that night, right here when you told me about creating a support club, and you said you needed me, my strength, and the club could be the place where I would belong?' Himeko asked, turning to look at Bossun with a smile on her face. 'It was one of the happiest moments in my life,' she said wholeheartedly.

Bossun stared at Himeko's beaming face. It really seemed that he couldn't look away from her. Yes, he still remembered the things he said that night, but to actually _know_ he had made Himeko that happy, he couldn't help smiling back at her.

'Thanks to you, we were able to create the Sket Dan,' Bossun remarked. 'It was home to us; me, you and Switch. I really felt that the three of us belonged there,' he said, his eyes looking up at the night sky as he let out a soft sigh. 'You know, I really miss being in the Sket Dan.'

'Me, too,' Himeko said, slowly rocking herself on the swing again. 'I actually kinda envy you, Bossun. Right now you're practically in a Sket Dan; going everywhere in the world helping people,' she confessed as she looked at him with genuine happiness. 'I'm glad you're doing what you love the most, Bossun. Helping people has always been your top priority. You're really living your dream.'

'Come on, Himeko. You're living your dream too, right? You're a teacher now.'

'Yeah, but you get to travel all over the world! It must be fun being able to see how other people in this world live in their own countries,' Himeko pointed out. 'You must've seen a lot of different things out there. I wish I could travel the world, too,' she said with a sigh of longing. 'The farthest place I've travelled to is Okinawa, and that's not even outside of Japan.'

Himeko turned to look at Bossun, suddenly reminded of something.

'I almost forgot!' she exclaimed as she slipped her hand into her skirt pocket and pulled out two Pelocan candies.

'Ugh, you still _eat_ those?' Bossun asked, scrunching up his face, clearly disgusted. His experience with Pelocan candies were never good.

'Of course! They are the love of my life! I can't possibly live without them.'

'Err, yes, you can. You'd probably live _better_ without them,' Bossun mumbled, eyeing those candies in Himeko's hand like they were time bombs.

'No, I _can't_! What would _you_ know, anyway? You're not _me_. And I'm _not_ exaggerating.'

Bossun tried to hold back his laughter. Himeko definitely _was_ exaggerating. He remembered now how much she loved those disgusting candies and how she would go crazy about them to the point of being mindlessly defensive when he tried to point out that Pelocan candy flavours were just too ridiculous.

He could still remember the repulsive taste of the salted fish gut Pelocan candy he had when he was in high school. It was actually Himeko's, and he had wanted to try it to prove to himself that he could handle a stupid Pelocan. But he obviously couldn't when he ended up puking while Himeko yelled at him for eating the Pelocan she was saving. He seriously thought he was going to die because of a stupid candy that day. It sent shivers down his spine just at the memory of it.

'Yeah, whatever. As long as I don't have to eat them, I'm cool,' Bossun said dismissively with a wave of his hand.

Just as his last word had rolled out of his mouth, Himeko shoved one of her Pelocan candies in his face.

'Here. This one is yours. A delightful souvenir from Okinawa,' she said with a gleeful smile. 'It's a rare flavour that's hard to find. I'm so lucky I found this in Okinawa this morning before I got back here.'

Bossun stared at the candy with a fearful look on his face.

'Uh, I think I'll pass. You know I don't like Pelocans,' he declined, trying to put some distance between himself and the candy. 'But thanks, anyway.'

'But this one is rare and special! It's my favourite flavour, too,' Himeko insisted, shoving the candy to him.

'Then _you_ eat it. You know I can't appreciate it like you do. I can barely handle it!' Bossun protested, pushing the candy back to her.

' _Bossun_!' Himeko said in a stern and firm voice that Bossun hadn't heard in a long time, her hand that was not shoving him the candy was perched threateningly on her hip. 'I'm _giving_ it to you so _take it_!'

For a while there Bossun thought he saw a glimpse of the infamous Onihime.

'Yes, ma'am,' he said nervously as he obediently took the dreaded candy Himeko was offering.

_Why the hell is this damn candy still around?_

Bossun fingered the candy's wrapping without any enthusiasm, wondering if he should risk eating it when he realized the flavour of the Pelocan in his hand.

'Hey, it's durian flavour!' he exclaimed excitedly.

Himeko looked at him in surprise.

'You know what a durian is?'

'Damn right, I know! It's the king of fruits. Man, I love durians!'

'You've eaten the _actual_ fruit?'

'Of course I have!' Bossun replied, excitement clearly visible on his face. 'I was in Malaysia about a year ago and that was where I first saw a durian. It was durian season at the time and they were just absolutely _everywhere_. People selling durians by the streets, from the back of a truck, at the mall, you name it. At first I hated it, especially the smell, and I hadn't even tried it yet! It was so thorny and mean-looking, too,' he explained, gesturing with his hands animatedly.

'But I just didn't get _why_ everyone there loved it so much. I got curious, and I needed to know, you know? So, after watching the locals eat it raw and looked like they were in heaven, after a long while of gathering courage, after I've gotten past the strong smell, I gave it a try. And guess what? I slowly fell in love with it. I really love it! I couldn't believe I hated it so much before.'

Bossun turned to look at Himeko but was startled to find her intently gazing at him.

'W-What?' he asked, feeling his face getting hot.

'Nothing. It's just, it's interesting to hear you talk about slowly falling in love. With a thorny, smelly fruit,' Himeko said, laughing. 'You're so lucky, though. You got to taste the actual durian. I've been wanting to try it ever since Pelocan released the durian flavour years ago. I love the taste and the smell, but I bet the actual fruit tastes so much better. I wish I could easily find a durian around here,' Himeko said with a sigh.

'No worries, Himeko. I'll take you to Malaysia someday and you can eat all the durians you want,' Bossun blurted out without thinking.

'Really?' Himeko exclaimed, her eyes shining. 'Oh, I would love to!'

'But of course you can't,' Bossun said curtly.

'Eh? Why not?'

'Well, you know…'

_Because very soon you're going to be someone else's wife, Himeko. I can't possibly whisk you away to a foreign country when you already belong to another man._

Bossun really didn't want to bring up Himeko's wedding into their conversation. He didn't want to face reality. He knew it was foolish to run away from it but he would rather pretend that she wasn't going to get married soon. At least for the moment. Talking about it would just hurt him, and he didn't want to feel that way right now. Not when he was happy being here with Himeko.

'What is it, Bossun?' Himeko insisted, stopping her swinging with a drag of her feet on the ground.

'Uh, you can't because… you don't have a passport?' Bossun reasoned lamely.

'What? I can always apply for one, duh. It's not like we're going to Malaysia _right now_ ,' Himeko pointed out, rolling her eyes. 'Anyway, you must be itching to meet Tezuka Aoi,' she suddenly chirped with a twinkle in her eyes.

'What? Why would I?' Bossun's voice practically went an octave higher. He was clearly perplexed.

_She brought it up. Of course Himeko would want to talk about her wedding. She must be over the moon about it._

'You're not?' Himeko asked curiously.

'He has nothing to do with me.'

'What are you saying, Bossun? He has _everything_ to do with you,' Himeko pointed out, a little confused by his reaction.

Then her face lit up with comprehension. 'Oh, I know what's this about. You're jealous of Aoi, aren't you?'

_Aoi?_

Bossun couldn't help noticing how Himeko had referred to her husband-to-be by his given name. He knew that was only natural; they were a couple after all but he still felt his heart ache so much.

'Hey, can we drop this? I don't want to talk about this,' Bossun said quietly, his voice quaking a little. His hands were clenched tight inside his parka pockets, trying to keep his emotions in check.

'… Sure,' Himeko said uncertainly when she realized Bossun really wasn't in the mood. She peered at his bowed face. 'Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?'

Bossun immediately got off from his swing when he realized Himeko's hand was reaching up to brush back his hair from his face to have a better look at him. He turned away from her, afraid she would see the pain in his eyes.

On an impulse, Bossun took out the small velvet box from his pocket, careful not to let Himeko see it. He pulled out the necklace and held it in his fist.

'Bossun?' Himeko asked as she watched him walk around slowly to stand behind her. 'Hey, what's the matter–'

Bossun lowered himself onto his knees and Himeko fell silent when she felt his lean, wiry arms hugged her shoulders from behind.

'B-Bossun?' she stammered in surprise, turning around to look at him with wide eyes.

'Don't!' Bossun called out in a whisper, his breath hot against Himeko's ear. 'Please, don't look at me right now.'

'Bossun, what's wrong? You're scaring me,' Himeko whispered to him, trying to curb the urge to turn around and look at him.

Bossun breathed in the sweet floral scent of her hair, his tight fist clenching the necklace held close against her shoulder.

'Please, Himeko. Let me stay like this for a while,' he pleaded, his voice almost inaudible.

The night felt so quiet to him then. All he could hear were the sound of the rustling leaves of the trees around the park, the crickets singing, and his own loud heartbeat.

After a moment that felt so long, slowly, his arms released her, his hands moving lightly, his fingers tracing feathers on her collarbones as he placed the necklace in his fist around her neck, clasping it with a soft chink at her nape.

'Himeko… I don't know if this is appropriate. You can give it away. Sell it. Throw it away if you want. I don't care. I just need to give it to you,' Bossun said, absentmindedly fingering the delicate chain that encircled Himeko's neck, somehow entranced by the way it glanced off the street lights. He abruptly stopped doing that when he felt Himeko shivered at his touch.

He took in a very deep breath, trying to calm himself.

'I know you're getting married… and I'm just _too late_ , but…'

Bossun let out a quivering breath.

'I love you, Himeko. I'm sorry.'


	6. Confessions

For quite a long while now whenever he had time to himself during his travels, Bossun would think about how he should actually tell his feelings to Himeko. And more than anything else, he was concerned about how she would react to it.

He had more or less expected two kinds of reaction from Himeko if he were to confess to her; that she would either be overjoyed by his confession and accept his love, or that she would quietly tell him she could not accept his feelings because she was already with another man.

Of course, he had been praying to receive the first reaction variation from Himeko whenever the time for him to bare his feelings to her comes.

And now he had said the three magic words to her.

I love you.

Somehow, the words were left hanging in the cold night air.

Bossun was now bracing himself for the second kind of reaction from Himeko, but to his befuddlement, her reaction was none of the two he had been expecting.

She was sitting still on her swing, barely moving, her voice quiet.

'What did you just say?'

Bossun blinked, still kneeling behind her.

'Huh?'

'Bossun. Just now… what did you _say_?' Himeko repeated. There was a hint of threat in her voice now.

'I… love you.'

'N-no. Not that,' Himeko said, sounding a little flustered.

Bossun tilted his head in total confusion now.

_Could it be that she didn't hear me just now?_

'I said… I'm sorry?' he guessed.

'Not that one, either!' Himeko retorted, finally getting up from the swing in frustration, the chains clinking as the swing swayed around violently.

Bossun stood up, too, shocked by Himeko's sudden angry reaction. He really didn't anticipate this. Did he say something unacceptable to rile her up so much?

'What's this about, Himeko? I don't understand,' he asked, catching the chains of the swing to stop their noisy clinking. Himeko's rowdy reaction was enough to mess with his already confused head.

' _Understand_?! _I'm_ the one who doesn't understand! You said I am getting _married_?! How come I don't know I'm getting married?!'

'What?'

Bossun stood stunned, staring dumbfounded at the flaring Himeko. Did he hear her right?

'Who the hell am I supposed to be married to?!' Himeko was practically yelling, her shrill voice echoing throughout the park.

'Tezuka Aoi… the English teacher?' Bossun answered uncertainly. He didn't know what was going on anymore. Had Himeko lost her mind or something?

'What?! There's no way in _hell_ I'm getting married to Tezuka Aoi!'

'But, you _are_ –'

'No, Bossun you idiot, _I'm not_!'

'But–'

'It's your _sister_ , Bossun! _Rumi_ is the one getting married to Aoi!'

This time Bossun really _did_ think Himeko had lost her mind.

'What nonsense are you saying, Himeko?' he laughed nervously. What did his sister have anything to do with this?

Himeko calmed down a little when she saw the uncertain look on Bossun's face.

'Nonsense? It's not nonsense, Bossun. I'm telling you the truth. Your little sister Rumi is getting married.'

Bossun felt his head slowly starting to spin, his legs suddenly not sturdy enough as he swayed a little. He held his muddled head in both hands.

'Rumi is… getting married?' Bossun repeated to himself in utter disbelief when Himeko's words finally dawned on him.

'I don't understand, Bossun. I thought you came back because of her wedding. I thought you knew,' Himeko said, watching him with concerned eyes.

'No… I didn't know anything about Rumi getting married,' Bossun said disbelievingly. He couldn't imagine his little sister being married to anyone.

'Wait,' he said vehemently out of a sudden, his big brother instinct kicking in. 'She's marrying Tezuka Aoi? That bastard! I don't even know who he is! How dare he lay a finger on my little sister! How dare he asked for her hand without meeting me first! Without asking for my blessing!'

'Bossun, calm down!' Himeko cried, totally taken aback by his sudden outburst. 'Rumi's an adult now. She doesn't need to ask for your permission to do anything. Besides, your mom likes Aoi very much. If he needs to ask for anyone's blessings, it's your mom's, not yours,' she pointed out calmly. She could see Bossun was clearly shocked by the news.

'But I'm her big brother,' Bossun whined. 'Why didn't she tell me she is getting married? She doesn't want me at her wedding, is that it?'

Himeko folded her arms with a knowing look on her face.

'I bet she didn't tell you because she knew you would react like this.'

'React like what?'

'Like a zealous over-protective brother!'

'No, I'm not!'

'Yes, you are! You should listen to yourself.'

Bossun looked away from Himeko with a disheartened look on his face.

'I'm not, okay?' he said in a quiet, defeated voice.

Himeko let out a sigh. 'Rumi was actually planning to tell you about her wedding soon, but I guess you already know about it now.'

Bossun was silent for a long while.

'I still can't believe it. Isn't she too young to get married?' he whispered to himself. 'Are you sure you're not lying to me, Himeko?'

'Are you calling me a liar, Bossun? Of course I'm not lying,' Himeko said angrily.

'Then, you're really not getting married to Tezuka Aoi, or anyone else for that matter?' Bossun asked quietly, his eyes intently watching her.

'Now _that's_ something I want to talk about,' Himeko said, her voice rising once again. 'Where the hell did you get that idea from?!'

'So, it's not true?' Bossun insisted.

'Of course not!' Himeko yelled.

Bossun let out a huge sigh of relief, feeling like the very heavy burden on his shoulders had suddenly decided to spread a pair of wings and flown itself somewhere far away, never to bother him again.

'Now tell me, Bossun, why did you think _I_ was the one getting married to Aoi?' Himeko demanded, her arms still folded in front of her.

'Well, a bunch of people told me–'

'Who?'

'Well…' Bossun trailed off. 'Switch, and–'

'Switch?! Why would he say that?!' Himeko was clearly furious.

'I don't know! That's why I never doubted you were getting married. Because Switch would never lie to me, or you.'

'But he _did_ lie to you! Why?'

'How the hell should I know?' Bossun retorted. 'Also, my mom said the same thing.'

Himeko looked at him, surprised. 'Akane said that too? She told you I was getting married?' She was clearly upset now.

'Yes, well…' Bossun started, scratching his temple as he tried to recall his conversation with his mother. 'Now that I think about it, my mom didn't actually _say_ you were getting married. I asked her if she was making your wedding dress, because I saw it in her working room, and she had said yes… although she was quite… hesitant about it,' he contemplated. Bossun was mostly thinking to himself now. Looking back, he _did_ think his mother was acting a little strange last night.

'So it was _you_ who put the idea of me getting married into Akane's head,' Himeko concluded. 'But I still don't get why she had answered yes to you, or why Switch would even lie to you about this,' she said in exasperation.

'But it's not just Switch. Just now, I met Saaya at Kaimei,' Bossun said.

'You did?'

'Yeah. I met her by chance, if you're wondering,' Bossun added quickly. 'Anyway, she asked me if I was home for the wedding–'

'Did she mention _whose_ wedding?'

'Uh…' Bossun fell silent again, trying to recall what Saaya had said to him. He wished he had his concentration goggles on. They would probably help him a lot in this situation.

'I don't think she mentioned anyone's name. She just said that getting married to Tezuka Aoi must be really nice.'

'So she didn't outright say _I'm_ the one getting married to Aoi?' Himeko asked, sounding more and more like a detective interrogating a suspect.

'I guess not. I just assumed she was talking about your wedding with Tezuka since that's what Switch told me,' Bossun admitted, running his hand through his hair. This was getting stranger by the minute. 'So I guess it's safe to say that Saaya was talking about Rumi's wedding and wasn't actually lying to me.'

'Again, _why_ did Switch lie to you? What's gotten into him?' Himeko cried out, getting frustrated.

'But Sasuke said it, too,' Bossun interjected.

'What? Tsubaki too? Your twin brother?' Himeko said in disbelief. 'What did I ever do to him?'

'I wonder why, too,' Bossun sighed, holding his chin in between his thumb and index finger, still deep in thought.

'Wait. He didn't actually _say_ it,' Bossun pointed out. 'I met Sasuke and Switch at the airport yesterday after I've just landed. I ran into them by chance, and Sasuke said they were sending off you and Rumi…' he fell silent again in his effort to recall his memory. 'And Sasuke asked me if I was home for the wedding…' he trailed off.

He heard Himeko let out yet another sigh.

'Did Tsubaki say _whose_ wedding you were home for?'

Bossun shook his head.

'No. I think he just asked if I was "home for her wedding with that teacher?", and I…'

Bossun remembered now.

No one had actually told him Himeko was getting married. He _himself_ was the one who assumed she was getting married when Sasuke asked him that question. The words 'her wedding with that teacher' that came out of Sasuke's mouth triggered a temporary senses breakdown in him and because he was so shocked at the idea of Himeko getting married to someone else, he couldn't process anything that was said between Switch and his twin brother after that. This whole misunderstanding wouldn't have happened if he had paid attention.

'I just… assumed it was yours,' Bossun said quietly, looking at Himeko.

'Again, thanks to Switch for feeding your mind with his lie?' Himeko offered, seemingly irritated.

'No, not really.'

'Huh? What do you mean?'

Bossun breathed in deeply, finally realizing his own mistaken assumption.

'When Sasuke asked me if I was "home for her wedding with that teacher" without mentioning anyone's name, I just assumed that it was yours, because Switch once told me you were dating a teacher,' Bossun glanced at Himeko, as if asking for confirmation.

'Yeah I did last year, but only for a short while, though. And it was _not_ Tezuka Aoi,' Himeko emphasized.

Bossun nodded, although now he was curious to know who that teacher was.

'Anyway, I don't think either Switch or Sasuke realized I got the wrong idea. At the airport, I said to Switch I couldn't believe you were getting married already, and he kinda stared at me with a weird look on his face… and then he smiled and he…' Bossun's eyes widened when he remembered what had actually happened. '… he actually agreed with me?!'

'What?! Switch _agreed_ with you? Why didn't he say you got everything wrong?' Himeko was yelling again.

For the second time, Bossun felt realization dawning on him.

'I get it now… it was _me_ who put the idea of you getting married into Switch's head,' Bossun slowly said, his mind was rapidly thinking at the moment as the pieces came together.

'Damn Switch,' Bossun said through gritted teeth. 'He set me up! And he got my mom to play along with his idea.'

'What do you mean?'

'Last night, when I was talking with my mom, Switch called her up. He must've told her about his idea then. And after that Mom was acting kinda weird. She wasn't really thrilled when I was asking her about the wedding dress,' Bossun said. 'Huh, that explains it. I was wondering why she was acting so guilty, asking me for forgiveness and all that.'

'I still don't get it,' Himeko exclaimed, frustrated. 'You said Switch set you up. What does that mean? Why didn't Switch say the truth when he clearly knew you got the wrong idea about me getting married?'

Bossun stayed silent for a while, rubbing the back of his neck. He knew exactly why Switch had lied to him about it.

'It was a push for me, to make me feel desperate,' he said quietly.

At the moment, Bossun didn't know whether he should be thankful or angry towards Switch, although he perfectly understood that his friend did it for his own good.

'Come on, Bossun. Explain this to me properly because I still don't get it. What was Switch's motif? He was pushing you for what?'

Bossun stared unwaveringly at Himeko then, seeing the confusion and exasperation on her face.

'It was a push for me to tell you how I really feel,' he said softly.

It was Himeko's turn to fall silent.

'Oh,' she finally let out a sound, looking uncertainly at the ground.

'By letting me feel like I was running out of time, it got the gears moving for me. Initially, I didn't plan on saying anything to you. I wasn't even planning to see you, because I thought I was already too late. I won't be able to change anything. But you came to see me tonight. And I bet it was Switch who suggested that you come and see me when he went to pick you up earlier,' Bossun said, watching Himeko watching him.

'And it was impossible for me to not tell you my feelings when you were right there in front of me, when I knew it was probably my last chance to say it,' he finished, his voice barely above whisper.

Hesitantly, Himeko took a small step towards him with her hand on her chest.

'Bossun… when you placed this on me… this necklace… the things you said then, do you really mean them?' she asked timidly, her fingers fidgeting with the necklace Bossun had placed around her neck.

Bossun felt his heart racing once more, watching Himeko looking so adorable with that shy expression on her face. He took a step closer towards her, close enough to touch her face.

'You know I mean them,' he said softly, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. Even Bossun himself was surprised as much as Himeko was at the tender, intimate gesture.

'I hope this is not just another dream,' Himeko whispered, trying to choke back tears but her eyes had already started to water. 'I've had too many dreams like this since you left.'

At seeing her tears and the look on her face, on an impulse, Bossun pulled Himeko into a tight embrace, feeling her trembling body and the quick beats of her heart.

 _God,_ he felt like crying too.

'Himeko… do you still feel the same about me? Like five years ago?' he breathed, hugging her even closer to him.

He felt Himeko nod her head against his shoulder as she made an affirmative sound, unable to speak, and he finally let out a mighty, shuddering breath of relief. He felt all his anguish and uncertainties melt away as he savoured the warmth in his arms that was Himeko. He didn't care about anything else anymore because the love of his life was already in his secure embrace.

'Bossun, are you trying to kill me?' he heard Himeko's voice so close to him, her words brushing against his neck as she tilted her head to look up at him.

'Huh?'

'You're crushing me, dammit,' Himeko breathed, her hot breath tickling his skin.

Bossun immediately let go of her when he realized how tight he was holding her to him.

'Sorry, Himeko,' he said, looking somewhat embarrassed. 'I'm just so relieved… and happy.' He gazed at her lovingly, adoringly, making her blush. 'I love you, Himeko,' he said with a contented smile carved on his face. Saying those words made him flush but he didn't mind saying them out loud anymore. It felt so good saying that to Himeko now.

'Yeah, thanks for letting me know,' Himeko replied with mock indifference.

'Aren't you supposed to say 'I love you, too' back to me?'

Himeko giggled. 'I love you, too, Bossun. I've loved you since like, _forever_.'

Bossun let her words soak into his very skin, into his rushing blood; her words making him feel warm and relieved and safe and happy and every other good feeling he couldn't describe.

_She loves me. Himeko loves me!_

'Himeko… I'm sorry it took me forever to realize something so obvious,' Bossun admitted. He really _was_ sorry.

'Yeah, I almost gave up on you a couple of times.'

'Really?'

'Yeah, it hurt sometimes thinking about you.'

'… I'm sorry,' Bossun said again, looking away from Himeko. His heart ached a little to know that he had hurt her in that way.

'It's okay, Bossun. Everything's fine now, right?' Himeko came close and cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her smiling face. 'I'm glad I didn't give up on you.'

'Thank you for not giving up on me, Himeko,' Bossun said, completely mesmerized by her eyes that were looking deep into his.

'You are most welcome,' she grinned.

Bossun stared at her for a while more before he let himself speak again.

'Himeko, can I… kiss you?' he asked hesitantly.

Himeko's face slowly turned red at his request.

'W-Why did you have to ask that out loud?' she stammered. 'It feels awkward, you know.'

'Well, isn't that a lot more gentlemanly? I mean, I don't want you to hit me because I suddenly kissed you,' Bossun reasoned.

'Well, true… but I wouldn't hit you.'

'Hm… I'm not so sure about that,' Bossun said, remembering the numerous times Himeko had hit him whenever he had accidentally done something to her when they were in high school.

'Ugh, drop it already, Bossun. Just do whatever you want,' Himeko said, exasperated.

'Whatever I want?'

'A kiss, that's what I meant,' she quickly said, hitting Bossun in the chest.

'I think you just hit me,' he pointed out.

'I didn't,' Himeko quipped as she hit him again in the chest.

Bossun laughed at her antics, his gaze regarding her, his mind remembering her every detail. In his eyes right now, Himeko looked so beautiful, so perfect.

Gently, he brought up his hands to hold her shoulders like she was the most precious girl in the world.

'Don't hit me, okay?' he said as he slowly leaned in towards her.

'I'll try not to.'

'Thanks for the assurance,' Bossun chuckled, his face getting closer to hers. 'I don't want to get hurt. You're stronger than me, you know.'

'I doubt that now.'

'Why? Because you're all feminine now?'

'Being feminine has nothing to do with the level of my strength,' Himeko whispered, tilting her head in anticipation, her face just a breath away from his. 'I just think you must've gotten stronger than me, that's all.'

Bossun smiled against her lips.

'We'll see about that,' he said, his whispered words disappeared into Himeko's mouth as he caught her soft lips with his, kissing her for the first time, with many, _many_ more kisses to come.


	7. Epilogue

'Congratulations, Himeko!'

Captain's excited voice sounded loud in Himeko's ears, her words somehow bouncing off the walls of her befuddled mind. She couldn't really process what was going on at the moment.

Himeko smiled uncertainly at the expectant faces around her, at the blurring image of Captain in her pretty red dress, and she figured that she didn't have any idea what to do. Her dazed mind somehow managed to register the delighted faces of her friends. Through her fuzzy eyes, their smiles were getting wider in slow motion, their hands coming together as the sound of their clapping hands blended with the bouncing echoes in her head.

Slowly, Himeko looked down. She stared at the bouquet of pretty flowers in her trembling hands.

_Why the hell did I catch this damn thing?!_

'I knew it! I knew you'd be the one to catch the bouquet, Himeko!' Rumi called out from the landing with the fancy railing at the top of the curved staircase of the foyer.

She stood on her tiptoes excitedly, looking down at Himeko with bright, shining eyes; one hand gripping the intricately carved railing, the other waving at Himeko as if she was on a departing luxury cruise. Beside her stood her newly-wed husband, Tezuka Aoi, looking as dashing as he had always been if not more, his smart black tuxedo made him look like he had just stepped out of a wedding scene from one of Himeko's shoujo mangas.

Himeko stared up at Bossun's little sister, all grown up in that gorgeous white wedding dress Akane had made, her brown hair spun perfectly into a neat bun, her pretty little head crowned with a beautiful, sparkling tiara. Rumi was glowing up there, the smile on her face was that of genuine happiness. Himeko had never seen her looking so beautiful before and it warmed her heart to see that little Rumi had now found herself true happiness.

'Congratulations, Onizuka!' Aoi hollered with a huge smile on his face, cupping a hand around his mouth unnecessarily while his other hand never once left Rumi's tiny waist.

'Congratulations, future sister-in-law!' Rumi added with a tinkling laugh.

Before Himeko could protest, someone called out from the small crowd of guests:

'When are you guys getting married? Has Bossun proposed to you yet, Himeko?'

Switch, who was looking exceptionally dashing in his dark suit, suddenly emerged from the crowd to stand beside Himeko with a knowing smile on his face. With a shake of his head, he flipped away his hair that was falling into his eyes. A beautiful Momoka in a pink dress followed closely after him with one hand anchored to Switch's arm.

'I'm sure the wedding's going to be soon,' Switch said with a glint in his eye as he pushed his spectacles up his nose bridge. 'Right, Momoka?'

The girl with the wavy brown hair nodded in agreement. She covered her mouth with one hand when she couldn't stop herself from laughing at the ridiculous face Himeko was making at the moment. The former Onihime seemed to be so astounded by her friends' teasing that she couldn't really express her perplexity coherently with words.

'Yes, I think the wedding's going to be soon, too,' Momoka said in between laughter.

'What? Wait a second! What are guys saying!' Himeko cried when she finally found her voice. 'I'm not getting married anytime soon!'

'Is it going to be next month?' somebody else from the crowd yelled. 'Let us know the date soon so we can free up our schedule!'

'Yeah, let us know soon, Himeko!' Captain quipped eagerly as she joined Switch and Momoka.

'I _said_ we're not getting married anytime soon!'

Himeko sighed heavily, pushing the strand of hair that had escaped from her braided bun.

_Ah, dammit. I knew these guys wouldn't stop teasing me about this._

Since the news of she and Bossun finally becoming an item broke out last month (thanks to an elated Switch, of course), everybody kept asking her what it was like to have a dense-as-a-brick Bossun as a boyfriend. Or how it felt to finally have him respond to her feelings after so long. Of course, she was happy. And she let them know that she was happy. But Bossun's usual reaction to this kind of teasing was either a shrug or an uninterested 'yeah'. Sometimes, Himeko wondered if he really _was_ happy being with her.

She looked around for him when she noticed that Bossun wasn't anywhere in her sight. She was pretty sure he was somewhere near her before Rumi tossed the flower bouquet.

_Where the hell did Bossun go? How dare he left me alone to deal with this!_

'Where's Bossman?' Momoka asked when she realized Himeko was looking for someone. 'Oi, Bossman! Where are you?' she called out loudly.

'He was here a minute ago,' Captain remarked, her dark hair bouncing as she made her way through the guests in search of her friend.

Himeko's eyes followed after Captain's disappearing figure before they caught the sight of her own reflection in one of the decorative mirrors on the wall of the foyer. Himeko stared at the girl in the turquoise dress with a flower bouquet in her hands. Her braided black hair shone. Himeko wondered if she really had become more beautiful this past month. She couldn't tell. But that was what everyone had been telling her.

_Is it true you become more beautiful when you're in love? And even more beautiful when the one you love loves you back?_

Himeko _really_ couldn't tell. She was brought out of her contemplation by Captain's voice rising above the crowd.

'Oh, there he is! Bossun's back here at the tables, Himeko!' And then, in quite a concerned voice, Himeko heard her say: 'Bossun, are you okay?'

She quickly pushed her way through the small crowd towards the back where the tables were.

Bossun was slumped over one of the round tables with his forehead resting on his forearm, his other hand gripping a recently emptied glass. Tsubaki was there sitting in the chair next to him with a jug of water in his hand.

'Feeling better, Yuusuke? Do you need another glass of water?' Tsubaki asked a little too seriously like he was treating one of his father's patients. 'Maybe we should get you to the hospital. You might be dehydrated. Or concussed when you hit your head against the wall when you thought there was a door there when you were panicking and trying to get outside. Or maybe–'

'I'm _fine_ , Sasuke. What are you blabbering about? Just pour me another glass of water, will you?' Bossun mumbled without lifting his head from the table. 'I'm not your patient. You don't have to worry about me so much,' he said as his twin brother poured water into his glass. Bossun finally sat up with a grunt, keeping his eyes shut and his brows furrowed.

'Who the hell is worried about _you_?' Sasuke snapped. 'I just don't want Rumi's lovely wedding to be marred by the death of her stupid brother who got too damn nervous just because his girlfriend caught the flower bouquet.'

At Tsubaki's words, Bossun choked on the water he was gulping down before accidentally spraying some of it all over the person standing in front of him.

He stared in horror when he realized that the person was none other than Himeko who had come running to him worriedly when she saw him heaped at the table.

'H-Himeko?' Bossun stuttered, nervously wiping away water from his mouth with the back of his shaking hand. He stared at the water stains on her pretty turquoise dress, which probably reminded him of an abstract painting he had seen somewhere in a museum during his travels. 'I'm s-sorry. I didn't mean to, I– I didn't see you there, I mean–'

' _What_ are you doing back here?' Himeko asked, thin-lipped. She was obviously trying not to be angry at the whole situation. She brushed Captain and Momoka aside, who were busy dabbing their pretty little handkerchiefs over the dark stains on her dress.

'I, uh, I was just…'

'Bossun, what's wrong? Are you alright?' Captain asked again concernedly when Bossun didn't seem to be able to speak properly. 'You look a little pale. Right, Himeko?' Captain turned to Himeko, nudging her friend softly and gave her a smile that clearly said: 'Please forgive Bossun this time. I'm sure he didn't mean to leave you all by yourself and then spray you with water. I'm sure he has a reason.'

Himeko gave in and let out a defeated sigh.

_Captain, why are you always so nice to this idiot?_

'Fine,' she muttered. 'So. What's the problem here, Bossun?' she asked like a gang leader cornering a scared young boy who was about to be thrashed.

Tsubaki started speaking before Bossun could.

'Like I said just now, he got too damn nervous when you caught the flower bouquet, Onizuka. He kept saying "I'm not prepared to get married yet" over and over, and then he went all jelly and panicky, and he thought the wall was a door and he somehow managed to hit his head hard against it and I had to support him walk to the table and poured him some water and–'

'Will you _shut the hell up_?' Bossun yelled, his face was now as red as the dress Captain was wearing. 'I didn't go all jelly at all! Or panicky!'

'Actually, he did,' Sasuke said matter-of-factly before pouring himself a glass of water and downed it in one gulp.

'Well… then, _so what_?!' Bossun retorted childishly.

'Relax, Bossun. This is just a bunch of flowers,' Himeko finally said, shoving the bouquet towards him. 'Just because I caught it doesn't mean we have to get married soon, _duh_. I'm not expecting you to go down on your knees right now and propose to me.'

Bossun looked up at her with doleful eyes.

'Really?'

'Yes, really.'

'But Switch told me if you caught the bouquet you'd be expecting me to propose to you.'

Himeko stared at him, almost not believing what she was hearing.

'Switch told you that?' she asked flatly.

'Yes.'

'And you believed him?'

'Er… yes?'

Himeko folded her arms with a huff, momentarily her stance returned to that of the legendary Onihime.

'You know what, you really _are_ an idiot.'

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'It means you are an _idiot_. Do you remember what happened last time Switch told you something about me?'

Bossun was quiet for a moment. And then his eyes were wildly looking around the foyer for a particular someone when he realized what Himeko was trying to say.

'Oi, Switch!' he called out. He downed the last of his water and thumped the glass on the table with a loud bang before standing up like a warrior ready to face his arch nemesis.

'Did someone call for me?'

Switch's singsong voice suddenly boomed from the speakers placed on either side of the small stage where people gave their speeches earlier during the party. Switch waltzed his way through the small crowd towards the table where Bossun and Himeko were. Bossun glared at him, that smile Switch was wearing clearly annoyed the hell out of him.

'You called for me, no? Is there something you want to announce to everyone gathered here today, Mr Fujisaki?' Switch said into the microphone which he held in his hand with his pinky finger sticking out.

'No, Switch. There's nothing to announce. You know, I still haven't forgiven you for lying to me about Himeko,' Bossun said irritatedly.

'Aww, weally? I feewl so sadz,' Switch replied with a laugh knowing how much that annoyed Bossun. He turned to Himeko who was standing beside Bossun with her arms still folded in front of her. 'Ma'am Onizuka, please tell your boyfriend to forgive me. After all, I did everything for his own good.'

Himeko shrugged like she couldn't care less.

'I think Bossun has already forgiven you, Switch. He just doesn't want to admit it because it would show what an idiot he was to be fooled by you.'

'Hey! Himeko, what are you saying?!' Bossun protested indignantly.

'I'm right, right?'

'Why are you siding with Switch? He caused me so much misery!'

'But if not because of him, things wouldn't have turned out like it is now.'

'Yeah, but that's easy for _you_ to say. You don't know how much emotional pain his– his– _deceit_ has caused me.'

'But you're happy now, right?' Himeko pointed out. Then, a horrible thought took over her mind. 'Oh my god. Don't tell me you're not? Are you telling me this is not what you want now? Is that why you never say how happy you are when people ask you about us?'

'What? How– That's not what I meant!'

'Hey, hey, don't fight here, guys. This is not the time for that,' Switch interrupted. 'Himeko, I think you need to calm down. Let me assure you that Bossun loves you more than anything else in this world.'

'Hey, don't say that into the microphone!'

Switch ignored Bossun's retort and flipped on his MC mode switch.

'Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you the brother of today's beautiful bride, Fujisaki Yuusuke, and his soon-to-be wife, Onizuka Hime, who is soon-to-be Fujisaki Hime!'

'What! Stop it, Switch! Oi!' Himeko cried out loudly but her voice was drowned by Switch's amplified excited voice and the crazy cheers from the crowd.

'Will you stop that?' Bossun grumbled as he grabbed the microphone from Switch forcefully.

He cleared his throat and calmly spoke into the microphone.

'Sorry, guys. Switch is probably high on something at the moment. Don't ask me what. He seems to be acting weird lately. No, wait. Come to think of it, he has always been weird. But anyway, the important thing is, he is spouting nonsense. Please ignore whatever–'

Switch reclaimed the microphone before Bossun could finish and said enthusiastically:

'As the next couple to get married, it is now time for _that_!'

He then quickly pushed Bossun and Himeko to the fore before pulling them closer together. The surprised couple looked at Switch suspiciously.

'What do you mean "time for _that_ "?' they both asked in unison.

Switch threw a smirk in their way and started to chant into the microphone.

'Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!'

And the good crowd started to chant along with him, much to Himeko and Bossun's horror.

'What? Come on, guys!' Bossun cried. 'This is Rumi and Tezuka's wedding. Why are _we_ the ones who have to kiss?'

'Y-Yeah, that's right!' Himeko chimed in, her face was so red right now it could replace the red traffic light and no one would probably know the difference. 'I don't want to kiss this idiot in front of everyone!'

_Not like he would want to kiss me either, anyway._

Bossun would become a total robot with dying batteries when it came to showing affection to her in public. He would start to freeze and make weird faces and gestures whenever she asked him if he would hold her hand, and now to kiss her in front of a crowd? Impossible.

'Come on guys. Just a little kiss,' Captain pleaded with puppy eyes, her hands clasped to her chest hopefully.

'This is meaningless,' Tsubaki fretted, a glass of water was still in his hand. 'That fool Yuusuke needs to go to the hospital.'

'Please, please, please, Himeko, pretty please?' Momoka said sweetly to Himeko. To Bossun, she said: 'Oi, Bossman. You better give her a nice kiss.'

Bossun finally let out a yielding grunt.

'Fine,' he said with a sigh, turning to face Himeko. 'Just peck me on the cheek, okay?' he said nonchalantly, tapping his cheek.

Himeko looked at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

'Why am _I_ the one who have to peck _you_?'

'Because I turn into wood if I try to. And you'll be mad at me for the weird faces I make,' Bossun reasoned. He then sighed again, suddenly sounding really exhausted. 'Please, Himeko? You know it's awkward for me to do this kind of thing in front of people.'

'And you think I'm fine with it? It's awkward for me too!' Himeko hissed. She looked around at the eager faces around her. Then, she too took a deep, calming breath before saying, 'Okay, fine. Just a quick peck, okay?'

'Yeah,' Bossun nodded. He then added quietly in a serious voice, 'If it's me, I'm not sure I can trust myself to just peck you on the cheek and not do anything else.'

Himeko felt her skin tingled at Bossun's words. Before she could ask him what he meant, Switch's voice boomed again from the speakers.

'Oi, oi, what are you guys whispering about? Kiss already,' he said.

'Alright! Alright! I get it already!' Himeko yelled. 'Just a peck on the cheek, okay?' she said again.

'Yeah, come on, Himeko. Be quick about it,' Bossun said, turning his cheek her way and making a show of tapping it impatiently. There were loud cheers and whistling coming from the small excited crowd gathered in front of them.

Himeko suddenly felt her heart starting to beat wildly as she leaned in closer to Bossun.

_This is embarrassing! Why do I have to do this?!_

After their first kiss that night at the elephant park, Himeko and Bossun had kissed a few times more, but they never did it in public. The thought of people watching them kiss horrified her. But Himeko didn't think she would be _this_ nervous just trying to peck Bossun in front of their friends.

She was about to kiss him on the cheek when Bossun suddenly turned his face around. Himeko's lips touched Bossun's, and before she could pull herself back, Bossun had strongly pulled her closer to him and slipped his hand up the side of her neck, cupping her jaw in his warm hand, angling her face so that he could kiss her better. The supposedly chaste peck on the cheek suddenly turned into a deep, passionate kiss.

Himeko almost allowed herself to be lost in Bossun's incredible kiss when the collective 'oohs' from the onlooking crowd reminded her that she was not alone with Bossun. She pulled back reluctantly, a little out of breath, looking at Bossun with wide surprised eyes only to see her own amazement reflected in his glazed dark brown ones. He looked as bewildered as she was.

Bossun suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her through the awed crowd towards the opened French doors that led to the sun-bathed, deserted garden. He let go of her hand once they reached the gazebo in the middle of the garden and stood with his back towards her.

Bossun stood silently, not saying a word and catching his breath, and he only spoke after a while.

'I'm sorry,' he said without looking at Himeko. 'I didn't mean to do that. The kiss, I mean.'

Himeko could hear the quiver in his voice and wondered if he really _was_ troubled by all this wedding talk. He was acting weird. That kiss just now, she really didn't expect him to be so bold in front of other people. When it was just the two of them, then, yes, he could be pretty bold, but to be _this_ bold in front of their friends…

'Bossun–'

He cut her off before she could say anything.

'It's just that, you look so damn _beautiful_ today, Himeko. I… I couldn't stop myself,' Bossun finally turned around to look at her, and his eyes took in the sight of her still lightly stained dress. 'And I'm so sorry for staining your dress. Sasuke was right. I was so nervous when I saw the flower bouquet in your hands. To be honest, I was nervous the whole time since I saw you this morning. I didn't think you could be more beautiful than you already are. It's like, I'm falling for you all over again.' He sighed as he covered his face with a hand. 'I... I don't know what's happening to me today. I'm all over the place…'

Himeko watched him, still in amazement. She didn't know what to say, and somehow, Bossun's honest words and how nervous he looked and acted made her want to cry and laugh both at the same time. She continued to stare at him when he started talking again.

'And everyone keeps asking me when am I going to propose to you. I know they are just teasing me, but still… I mean, it's not that I don't want to marry you, Himeko. I do! But, the way I am right now, I know I'm still not good enough for you. I need to become a better person. You _deserve_ a better person, a better _me_ , that is. Not a better _someone else_. I don't want you to be with someone else. I won't ever let you go, I can promise you that, and I–'

On impulse, Himeko closed the small gap between them and enveloped Bossun in her arms, silencing him in the process.

'Bossun, you really _are_ an idiot, do you know that?'

She felt him melt into her embrace.

'Yeah, I know. But then you're a fool for loving this idiot.'

'Well, I don't mind being the idiot's fool,' Himeko said with a giggle. She hugged him tighter, breathing in the now familiar scent of his body soap. 'I love you, Bossun.'

Himeko felt Bossun respond by holding her tighter to him, savouring the immense strength of his arms that she had come to know and love for this last past month.

'You know I love you too, right, Himeko?'

'Well, I don't know… maybe you need to prove it to me again with a kiss like the one just now?'

And that was enough for Bossun to start kissing her again like she was the air, and this time Himeko didn't pull back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a short fluffy continuation to this story called Cotton Candy. Go and read it if you want more Bossun and Himeko :D
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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